f 


V 


BV  4500  .M35  1815 
Mather,  Cotton,  1663-1728 
Essays  to  do  good 


(%t^  it  it,  %».  ^  ♦ 


^0kSi>Ailr, 


:,N' 


ESSAYS  TO  BO  GOOB. 


ADDRESSED 


■  ^^  4C(  ^m$um$s 


WHETHER    IN 


PUBLIC  OR  PRIVATE  CAPACITIEa 


BY    THE    LA.TE 

COTTON  MATHER,  D.  D.  F.  R.  S. 


To  do  good,  and  to  communicate,  forget  not.     Hebi\ 
xiii.  16. 


A  NEW  EDITION, 
IMPROVED  BY  GEORGE  BURDE 


Frotn  the  latest  Boston  and  London  edition. 


PRINTED  AND  SOLD  BY  CHILD  &  CLAPP, 

No.  2,  Market-Street, 

I.  i 

18l5o 


m. 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Messrs,  CHILD  6:  CLdPP, 

Gentlemen Hearing  that  you  proposo  to  p\ab- 

lish  an  edition  oCKasays  to  do  good''*  by  Dr.  COT. 
TON  MATHER,  I  take  the  liberty  of  expressing  the 
high  oj>inloii  I  entertain  of  that  book,  on  account  of  its 
inlrinsic  value,  and  especially  as  adapted  to  be  useful 
in  this  part  of  the  country,  at  the  present  time.  I 
think  the  [)ubIication  of  it  will  tend  greatly  to  enlarge 
the  minds  of  the  benevolent,  who  are  williDg  to  do 
good,  but  need  something  to  give  direclion,  and  adi 
vigor  to  tiieir  exertions.  Every  family  v/onld  find  it 
an  invaluable  treasure,  and  many  that  are  young  migbi 
receive  such  direction  as  would  be  essential  to  an  use- 
fal  and  a  happy  life.  Wishing  every  success  to  vour 
undertaking,  I  subscribe  myself  yours,  &c. 
ELISHA  YALE, 
Pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church  in  Khig.^- 
borou2h,  N,  York. 


Messrs.  CHILD  &z  CLdPP, 

I  have  slightly  examined  the  work  of  that  father 
of  the  New-England  churches,  COTTON  MATHER, 
entitled  '•^Bonifacius^''  or  '^Essays  to  do  good^^  and 
most  freely  do  I  assure  you  that  it  meets  my  cordial 
approbation,  as  a  work  calculated  to  effect  what  the 
title  imports.  Many  items  in  his  "  catalogue  of  desir- 
able things"  have  received  since  his  death,  marked 
and  serious  attention  from  the  christian  world ;  but  as 
much  remains  to  be  done,  perhaps  the  most  probable 


ir.  Recommendations. 

means  of  accomplishing  the  whole,  -svill  be  the  re* 
publication  of  his  '-'■Bonifacius,^'*  I  sincerely  hope 
that  in  re-priuting  this  work  j^^ou  may  not  only  call  the 
attention  of  others  to  well  doing,  but  procure  to  youJ> 
selves  temporal  and  spiritual  benefits. 

JOHN  M.  BRADFORD, 
Tastor  of  the  R^Jbrmed  Dutch  Church,  Mbany. 
Albany^  MarcJi  1015. 


Dr.  Cotton  Mather's  ^^Essays  to  do  good,'''  is  a  work, 
In  my  opinion  of  real  merit.  I  admire  equally  the 
design  and  the  execution.  The  author  was  a  rjaan  of 
learning  and  piety.  His  own  practice  was  a  living 
e-s amplification  of  what  he  proposes  to  others.  These 
Essays  comprise  a  vast  amount  of  i)racticalinstriiclion, 
written  in  a  small  compass.  Messrs.  Child  &  Clap-p, 
of  Johnstown,  now  offer  to  the  public  a  new  edition  of 
tjiis  little  volume.  I  sincerely  wish  them  success  in 
the  undertaking ;  and  earnestly  recommend  it  to  the 
blesfcing  of  God,  and  to  the  patronage  of  all  those 
persons  who  would  wish  tobe  imliators  of  that  Divine. 
Ezarnpler,  ''who  ivent  aJboid  doi?iggood" 

WILLIAM  NEILL, 
Pastor  of  the  }st  Freskyterian  Church  inMbamj, 

I  heartily  concur  in  the  above  recommendation. 

SAMUEL  BLATCHFORD, 
Pastor  of  the  U.  Slates  Presbyterian  Church  m  Law- 
singburgh  a>ul  Walerford,  A*  York, 

I  heartily  concur  in  the  above  recommendations. 
SIMON  HOSACK, 

Pa.Hrfr  of  Iht  Presbyterian  Church,  Johnstowf^ 


V. 


THE  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


THE  following  Essiys  were  first  published  by  Br. 
Cotton  Mather,  at  Boston  in  New-England,  in  the 
year  1710.  The  design  of  the  author  is  thus  express- 
ed in  his  title-pnge,  "  Bonifacius."  An  Essay  upcz?. 
tlie  Good  that  is  to  be  devised  and  designed,  by  those 
who  desire  to  answer  the  great  end  of  life,  and  to  D(* 
Good  while  they  live.  A  book  offered,  first,  in  gen- 
eral, unto  all  christians,  in  a  personal  capacity,  or  in  a 
i-elative;  Then  more  particularly  unto  magistrates, 
ministers,  physicians,  lawyers,  schoolmasters,  gentle- 
men, officers,  churches,  and  unto  all  societies  of  a  re- 
ligious character  and  intention :  vrith  humble  proposals 
of  unexceptionable  methods  to  do  good  in  the  world.'* 

In  the  present  edition,  this  title  is  abridged,  and  the 
running  title,  used  by  the  author  in  the  original  work, 
is  substituted,  Essays  to  do  good,  which  the  reader 
mny  understand  to  signify,  "attempts  to  do  good;" 
which  was  probably  the  author's  intention  in  the  use 
of  that  phrase;,  or,  he  may  consider  this  little  volume 
as  composed  of  a  set  of  Essays,  on  the  noble  subject  of 
doing  good  in  this  present  evil  world; 

The  various  methods  of  doing  good^  here  proposed, 
to  the  public, derive  no  small  recommendation  from  the 
example  of  the  excellent  author,  whose  v/hole  life  was 
a  practical  comment  on  the  subject,  and  who  niigitt 
have  said  to  the  readers  of  his  own  days,  "  be  ye  fol- 
lowers of  me."  To  those  who  may  not  have  had  am 
opportunity  to  peruse  his  life,  the  following  slight 
sketch  of  it  may  be  acceptable. 

Dr.  Cotton  Blather,  who  was  born,  February,  12, 
1 003,  at  Boston,  ia  New-EigUnd,  was  bojaorably  de- 
A. 


?i.  Edilors^  Vi'cface. 

scended  from  families  ^vliose  eminent  piety,  ?ind  suffer' 
ings  for  rigliteousuess'  sake,  rendered  tiiern  "the  excel 
lent  of  the  earth."  Dr.  Increase  Mather,  his  father, 
was  pastor  of  the  North  Church,  in  Boston,  and  Presi- 
dent of  Harvard  College  ;Jiis  mother  was  the  daughter 
of  the  renowned  Mr.  John  Cotton,  a  minister  of  exalt- 
ed religion  and  uncommon  learning. 

At  twelve  years  of  age,  our  author  had  attained  a  con 
siderable  knowledge  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew;  hfr 
•was  admitted  into  the  college  at  sixteen;  at  eighteer*. 
took  his  first  degree;,  and  before  he  was  nineteen,  pro- 
ceeded Master  of  Arts. 

From  his  earliest  years,  he  discovered  a  love  to  relig- 
ion; he  prayed  much  in  private,  and  constantly  read 
fifteen  chapters  of  the  Bible  in  a  day.  >  At  fourteen,  he 
kept  days  of  private  fasting  and  prayer;  devoted  a, 
tenth  of  his  little  income  to  pious  uses ;  and  at  sixteen, 
i>ecame  a  member  of  the  church. 

At  this  early  period  of  life,  he  adopted  it  as  a  maxim, 
*'that  a  power  and  an  opportunity  to  do  good,  not  only 
gives  a  right  to  the  doing  of  it,  but  makes  the  doing  of 
it  a  duty."  On  this  maxim  he  determined  to  act,  and 
continued  to  do  so  throughout  his  whole  life. 

In  the  execution  of  this  noble  design,  he  began  in  his 
father's  family,  to  do  all  (he  good  in  his  power  to  his 
brothers,  his  sisters,  and  the  servants.  He  imposed  on. 
himself  a  rule,  never  to  enter  any  company,  where  it 
was  proper  for  him  to  speak,  without  endeavoring  to  be 
wsefal  in  it ;  and  in  doing  this,  he  found  that  promise  fuL 
filled,  "to  him  that  hath  shall  be  given;"  for  on  the 
faithful  improvement  of  his  talents,  his  opportunities  of 
usefulness  were  gradually  iacreased,  till  he  became  a 
J&lesbing  to  whole  churches,  towns,  and  countries. 


Editors  Preface,  '  w .. 

Ill  the  managemeut  of  his  verj'^  numerous  affairs,  he 
was  a  man  of  uncommon  dispatch  and  activity ;  but  he 
was  oblig't'd  to  improve  every  moment  of  his  time;  and 
that  he  might  not  suffer  by  impertinent  and  tedious, 
visitors,  he  wrote  over  his  study -door  in  large  letters, 
BE  SHORT. 

The  writer  of  his  life,  Mr.  Samuel  Mather,  his  soa^ 
gives  us  the  folio  wings  pecimen  of  his  surprising  activi- 
ty, in  the  review  ofa  single  year;  in  the  courseof  which, . 
he  preached  seventy-two^public  sermons,  and  about  half, 
that  number  in  private.     IS"ot  a  day  passed  without 
some  contrivance  to  do  good,  which  he  registered ;  be, 
side  many,  probably,  not  noticed  in  his  diary.     Not  a 
day  passed,  without  his  being  able  to  say  at  the  close  of 
it,  that  some  part  of  his  income  had  been  distributed  for 
pious  purposes.     He  prepared  and  published,  in  this 
year,  about  fourteen  books;  and  kept  sixty-two  fasts, . 
and  twenty-two  vigils. 

When  he  was  aboiit  nineteen,  he  was  chosen  co-pas* 
tor  with  his  father;  from  which  time,  till  his  death,  he 
continued  a  laborious,  zealous,  and  useful  minister  of 
the  glorious  gospel.  He  continued  also  a  close  and 
diligent  student,  acquiring  a  prodigious  fund  of  the 
ciost  valuable  knowledge:  and  that  his  usefulness 
might  extend  beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  country, 
he  learned  the  French  and  Spanish  languages,  and  in 
his  forty-fifth  year  took  the  pains  to  acquire  a  knowl- 
edge of  tlie  Indian  (Iroquois)  tongue,  in  each  of  which 
he  published  useful  treatises. 

The  greatest  genius  in  the  world  woukl  have  found 
it  impossible  to  effect  so  much,  without  a  sacred  re- 
gard to  method  ;  in  this.  Dr.  Mather  was  studiously 
exact.  That  all  his  pursuits  might  have  their  proper 
pFaces,  he  used  to  propose  to  himself  a  certain  qiiestioQ 
m  the  morDlDg  of  ejery  day,  in  the  following  order ; 


viit  Editor'' s  preface. 

Sabbath  morning.  What  shall  I  do,  as  a  pastor  of 
a  church,  for  the  good  of  the  flock  under  my  charge? 

Monday.  What  shall  I  do  in  my  family,  and  for 
the  good  of  it  ? 

Tuesday.    What  shall  I  do  for  my  relations  abroad  ? 

Wednesday.  What  shall  I  do  for  the  churches  of 
Hie  Lord,  and  the  more  general  interest  of  religion  in 
the  world  ? 

T'hursday.  What  good  may  I  do  in  the  several  so- 
cieties to  which  I  belong  ? 

Friday.  What  special  subjects  of  affliction,  and 
objects  of  corapassioHj  may  I  take  under  my  particular 
care,  and  what  shall  I  do  for  them  ? 

Saturday.  What  more  have  I  to  do  for  the  interest 
of  God,  in  my  own  heart  and  life  ? 

By  this  careful  observation  of  method,  by  the  read* 
iness  of  his  invention,  and  his  peculiar  celerity  in  the 
dispatch  of  business,  he  was  enabled  not  only  to  per- 
form all  the  duties  of  the  pastoral  office,  and  to  assist 
in  the  formation  and  support  of  numerous  societies,  but 
also  to  compose  an  uncommon  number  of  books.  Hi» 
biographer  givey  us  a  catalogue  of  no  less  than  thi'es 
hundred  and  eighty  two*  Some  of  these  were  indeed 
small,  but  others  were  considerable  in  size,  and  some 
voluminous,  particularly  his  famous  work,  "Magnalia 
Ghristi  Americana,"  or  "The  Ecclesiastical  History  of 
New-England ;"  beside  which,  and  other  large  treatises 
which  he  published,  he  made  very  copious  prepara- 
tions for  his  ^'American  Bible :"  in  this  great  labor  he 
was  engaged  for  fifty  y€ars  ;  but  we  apprehend  that  it 
was  never  published.* 

*  The  publishersof  this  edition  have  asccrtaind,  that  "The 
JBiblia  Jmertcana*'  was  never  published.  It  was  too  large  a, 
■vrork  to  print  at  that  time,  in  New^England,    The  dissents 


Editor'' s  Preface,  \\., 

In  addition  to  his  other  engagements,  he  kept  up  a. 
literary  correspondence  with  eminent  men  in  various 
countries,  among  wliom  were  Mr.  Waller,  Dr.  Cham- 
berlain, Dr.  Woodward,  Dr.  Jurin,  Professor  Frank, 
Lord  Chancellor  King,  Dr.  AVhiston,  Dr.  Desaguliers, 
Sir  Richard  Blakemore,  Dr.  Watts,  and  many  others. 

After  a  life  of  singular  piety  and  activity,  he  v/as  ta- 
ken ill  at  the  close  of  December,  1727;  when  he  felt 
a  strong  persuasion  that  his  sickness  would  be  unto* 
death,  and  told  his  physicians  so.  The  grand  desire 
of  his  heart  was,  that  '*hls  own  will  might  be  entirely 
swallowed  up  in  the  will  of  God."  At  that  time  he- 
iiad  some  things  in  hand,  which  he  would  gladly  have 
lived  to  finish  ;  but,  said  he,  "1  desire  to  have  no  will 
of  my  own."  When  the  physician  intimated  his  ap- 
preiiensioM  of  ihe  fatal  issue  of  his  disorder,  he  imme- 
diately said,  lifting  up  his  bands  and  eyes,  "thy  will 
be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  in  heaven !  and,  a  few  hours. 
before  hh  departure,  said,  "now  I  have  nothing  more 
io  do  here;  my  wsll  is  entirely  swallowed  up  in  the  will 
of  God."  Ke  frequently  expressed  the  good  hope  he 
enjoyed;  'that  he  wasgoing  to  eat  the  bread  and  drink 
the  water  4)r  life  freely  ;  that  all  tears  would  soon  be  wip- 
ed from  his  eyes;  that  it  was  impossible  he  Elioiild  be 
lost ;  and  that  his  views  of  the  heavenly  world  were  glo- 
rious.'" He  had  a  hard  cough,  an  asthma,  and  fever  ;- 
yet  he  felt  but  little  pain;  was  favored  with  a  sweet 
composure  of  mind;  and  obtained  an  easy  dismission 
from  the  body :  blessings  which  he  had  often   prayed 


ing  ministers  of  London,  who  corresponded  with  Dr.  Mather* 
were  desirous  to  huve  it  {u;Mishcd  on  that  side  uf  the  At- 
lantic, but  did  not  succeed  in  g'aininga  subscription. 

The  manuscrij.t,  written  in  a  fair,  legible  Iiand,  i'S  deposit 
ed  in  the  Musbachusetls  Historical  Libiury. 


K.  Editor^s  Prfface. 

for  with  great  fdrvency.  He  died  February  13,  172Sy 
having  just  completed  bis  sixty-fifth  year. 

Such  a  life,  and  such  a  death,  will  afford  to  the  se» 
rious  reader  a  powerful  recommendation  of  the  follow- 
ing pages.  The  proposals  for  doing  good,  which  they 
present,  are  not  the  idle  speculations  of  an  ingenious 
theorist,  but  the  faithful  transcript  of  a  holy  life.  The 
author,  by  reducing  them  to  practice,  has  demonstrat- 
ed their  practicability  to  others ;.  and  encourages  every 
Individual  reader,  whatever  be  his  share  of  capacity^ 
or  the  sphere  in  which  he  moves,  to  believe  that  he 
may  do  some  good  in  the  world,  if  he  be  so  disposed. 

The  late  celebrated  Df;  Franklin,  who,  when  a 
youth,  had  the  privilege  of  being  acquainted  with  Dr. 
Mather,  considered  himself  under  the  greatest  obli- 
gations to  his  instruction  and  example  ;  and  though  we 
cannot  conclude  that  Dr.  Franxlin  concurred  witb 
him  in  his  evangelical  views,  yet  he  was  certainly  a 
philanthropist  and  a  philosopher.-  The  testimony 
which  he  bore  to  the  excellence  of  this  little  volume, 
will  inhance  its  value  in  the  estimation  of  many  of  its 
readers.  That  renowned  statesman  informs  us,  that 
all  the  good  he  ever  did  to  his  country,  or  to  mankind, 
he  owed  to  a  small  book  Vrhich  he  accidentally  met 
with,  entitled,  "  Essays  to  do  good,'^  This  little  book 
he  studied  with  care  and  attention,  laid  up  the  senti- 
ments in  his  memory,  and  resolved,  from  that  time, 
which  was  In  his  early  youth,  that  he  would  make  e/o> 
inggood  the  great  purpose  and  business  of  his  life.'"* 


*  In  a  letter  from  Dr.  Franklin  to  Dr.  Mather,  son 
of  the  Author,  dated  Passy,  (in  France,)  Nov.  10, 
1779,  we  have  the  following  paragraph. 

Referring  to  a  paper  of  advice  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  just  published  by  Dr.  Mather,  he  says. 


Editor'' a  Preface.  xi. 

Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  style  of  Dr. 
Mather  will  readily  allow  that  some  alterations  were 
^lecessary  to  render  it  agreeable  to  a  modern  reader. 
The  Editor  was  obliged  to  change  may  quaint  and  ob- 
solete words  and  phrases,  for  others  more  intelligible 
and  pleasant ;  the  Latin  sentences  were  translated  by 
>a  learned  friend,*  and  the  whole  adapted  to  more  gen- 
eral usefulness. 

The  Editor  only  adds,  that  it  will  afford  peculiar 
ilelight  to  the  benevolent  reader  to  find,  as  he  peru- 
ses the  following  pages,  that  many  of  those  publie 
schemes  of  usefulness,  which  were  projected  by  the 
author  a  century  ago,  have,  within  these  few  years, 
been  recommended,  adopted,  and  carried  into  effect  in 
this  free  and  happy  country^  and  every  year  gladdens 
our  hearts  with  the  establishment  of  some  new  institu- 
tion; some  new  "Essay  to  do  good,"     May  the  God 

*'  Such  writings,  though  they  may  be  lightly  passed 
over  by  many  readers,  yet,  if  they  make  a  deep  im- 
pression on  one  active  mind  in  a  hundred,  the  effects 
may  be  considerable. 

"  Permit  me  to  mention  one  little  instance,  which, 
though  it  relates  to  myself,  will  not  be  quite  uninter- 
esting to  you,  "  When  I  was  a  boy,  I  met  with  a 
book,  entitled  ^^Essays  to  do  %ood^^  which  I  think  w  as 
"Written  by  your  father.  It  had  been  so  little  regarded 
by  its  former  possessor,  that  several  leaves  of  it  were 
torn  out ;  but  the  remainder  gave  me  such  a  turn  of 
thinking,  as  to  have  an  influence  on  my  conduct 
through  life ;  for  I  have  always  set  a  greater  value  on 
the  character  of  a  doer  of  good,  than  any  other  kind  of 
reputation ;  and  if  I  have  been,  as  you  seem  to  think,  a 
useful  citizen,  the  public  owes  the  advantage  of  it  to 
that  book."    Br,  Franklin^ s  works,  Vol.  3,  page  478. 

•  ITotg'  In  the  present  Boston  Edition,  the  translation? 
are  generally  inserted  in  the  text,  and  the  Latin  preserved 
in  the  Marginal  notes* 


X4I.  Editor's  Preface. 

of  all  goodness  smile  on  every  attempt  to  promote  his 
glory,  by  promoting  the  happiness  of  his  creatures  I 
Much  yet  remains  to  be  done ;  and  should  the  perusal 
of  this  volume  tend  to  raise  the  holy  flame  of  benevo- 
lent zeal  in  the  hearts  of  sincere  Christians,  or  wisely- 
direct  its  operations,  it  will  afford  a  rich  recompense 
ibr  the  labour  of 

THE  EDITOR. 
London,  April  27^  1807, 


PREFACE. 


AMONG  the  many  customs  of  the  world,  with 
^hicli  it  is  ahuost  necessary  to  comply,  this  is  one. 
That  a  book  must  not  appear  without  a  Preface  :  and 
this  little  book  willingly  submits  to  the  customary  cer- 
emonyo  It  comes  with  a  Preface;  however,  it  shall 
not  be  one  like  the  gates  of  Mindus.  But  there  is  a 
greater  difficulty  in  complying  with  another  usage,  that 
of  "An  Epistle  Dedicatory."  Dedications  are  become 
such  foolish  and  fulsome  adulations,  that  they  are  al- 
most useless  :  frequently  they  answer  no  other  purpose 
than  to  furnish  the  critics  on  "  the  manners  of  the  age" 
with  matter  of  ridicule.  The  e^^cellent  Mr.  Boyle 
employed  but  a  just  expression  in  saying,  "It  is  almost 
as  much  out  of  fashion  in  such  addresses  to  omit  giving 
praises,  (I  may  say,  unjust  ones)  lis  it  is  to  believe  the 
praises  given  on  such  occasions."  Sometimes  the  au- 
thors themselves  live  to  see  their  own  mistakes,  and 
acknowledge  them.  Austin  makes  the  flourishes 
which  he  had  once  used  in  a  "Dedication,"  an  arti- 
cle of  his  ''Ftetractions ;"  and  Calvin  revokes  a  dedica- 
tion, because  he  finds  he  had  made  it  to  an  unworthy 
person.  I  may  add,  that  at  other  times,  every  one 
perceives  what  the  authors  aim  at,  and  that,  in  fact, 
they  write  for  themselves  while  they  flatter  other  men. 
Another  course  must  now  be  steered. 

If  a  book  of  Essays  to  do  Good  were  to  be  dedicated 
to  a  person  of  quality,  it  should  seek  a  patron  who  is  a 
true  man  of  honor,  and  of  uncommon  goodness.  Thy 
patron,  0  book  of  benefits  to  the  Avorld,  should  be  a 
general  and  generous  benefactor  to  mankind,  one  who 
never  accounts  himself  so  well  advanced,  as  in  stoop- 
ing to  do  good,  one  wiiose  highest  ambition  is  to 
abound  in  serviceable  condescensions;  a  stranger  to 
the  gain  of  oppression,  the  common  refuge  of  the  op- 
B, 


xlr.  Prrjhce. 

pressed  and  the  distressed ;  one  who  will  know  nothing 
that  is  base,  a  lover  of  all  good  men,  in  all  persuasions; 
able  to  distinguish  them,  and  loving  them  without  any 
distinction.  Let  him  also  be  one  who  has  nobly  strip- 
ped himself  of  emoluments  and  advantages,  when  Ihey 
would  have  encumbered  his  opportunities  to  serve  his 
country.  Yea,  presume  upon  one  who  has  governed 
and  adorned  the  greatest  city  on  the  face  of  the  earth, 
?<nd  so  much  the  "delight"  of  that  city,  as  well  as  of 
the  rest  of  mankind,  that  she  shall  never  account  her 
honor  or  welfare  better  consulted,  than  when  he  appears 
for  her  as  a  representative  in  the  most  illustrious  as- 
sembly in  the  world. 

In  one  word,  a  public  spirit.     Let  him  therefore, 
nnd  on  more  than  all  these  accounts,  be 

SIR  WILLL\M  ASHHURST. 

For  as  of  old  the  poet  observed  on  mentioning  the 
name  of  "Plutarch,"  that  the  echo  answered  "Philoso- 
phy :"  So  now,  A  PUBLIC  SPIRIT  w^ill  immediately  be 
the  echo  in  the  sense  of  all  men,  and  with  a  repetition 
jnore  tVequent  than  that  at  Point-Chareton,  if  the  name 
of  Sir  V/iLLiAM  AsHHURST  ouce  be  mentioned.  He 
it  is  whom  the  confession  of  all  men  brings  into  the 
catalogue  with  Abraham  and  Joseph,  and  those  other 
ancient  blessings,  who  are  thus  excellently  described 
by  Grotius :  "Men  born  to  serve  mankind,  who  reckon 
it  their  greatest  gain  to  have  it  in  their  power  to  do 
good."*  America  afar  o;T,  also  knows  him;  tlie  Amer- 
ican colonies  have  their  eye  on  the  efforts  of  his  good- 
ness for  them.  Nations  of  christianised  Indians  like- 
wise pray  for  him,  as  their  Governor.  To  him  the 
design  of  such  a  book  wi'l  be  acceptable,  whatever 
may  be  the  defective  manner  of  treating  its  noble  sub- 
ject. To  him  it  wishes  that  a!!  the  blessings  of  those 
who  devise  good,  may  be  forever  midtipiied. 

I  will  presume  to  do  something  that  will  carry  a 
sweet  harmony  with  one  of  the  chief  methods  to  be 
observed  in  prosecuting  the  design  of  this  book;  which 

*  Homines  demerendls  Vominibus  natl,  qui  oiunem  benft" 
Hcli  collo«£atli  occasion? rr.  ponabar.t  in  lucro. 


Vrpface,  .\\ 

is,  Tor  "brethren  to  dwell  together  iti  unit},"  aiul  carrj 
on  every  good  design  vvith  united  endeavors. 

Thty  \\\\\  pardon  ine,  if  1  take  leave  to  join  with 
him  in  the  testimonies  of  our  great  esteem,  for  an  hon- 
orable dispobition  to  love  good  men,  and  io  do  good  iu 
liie  \vc»ld,  Ilia  excellent  brother  in  law,  the  wtll-knowtt 
name  oi'  a 

JOSEPH  THOMPSON, 

who  has  long  been  vahieil,  anJ  shall  always  be  remen- 
bered,  in  the  country  where  this  book  is  pnbli:-htu. 
K\in\  will  be  gloriiied  for  the  piety  which  adorns  iiini, 
and  the  ''pure  rcliL^ion,"  which,  in  the  rniilal  of  ihr. 
world  and  of  temptation?  from  it,  keeps  him  to  '^Linsiiot- 
(ed  from  the  world.'^  It  wa3  the  maxim  of  a  Pagan 
Asdrubal  in  Livy,  '*men  distinguished  by  their  pros- 
perity are  seldom  di- tin^uished  for  \iriiie-''*  Chri> 
tianity  wiU  in  llils  gentiejnaii  give  to  i\\Q  world  au 
happy  expeilmeat,  tliatlhe  maxiai  is  capable  of  a  cor:- 
fulrition.  iUH-atisc  a  book  of  "E.-says  to  do  good''  wiil 
d()ub(k:-«  be  acceptable  to  one  of  so  jiooda  mind  ;  and 
the  trea^ttrev  of  a  corporation  ibrni-2d  on  the  iaterdioit 
to  do  hi  America  thrd  good  ^vlilch  is  of  all  Ihegreatesty 
of  which  Sir  VViiiiHni  Ashhiirsl  is  the  governor,  ho 
also  has  a  part  in  the  humble  tender  of  it  ;  and  it  mubt 
wish  nnto  him  •'all  the  biesiirigs  of  goodness." 

The  booknow^  reo'iires  that  some  acco:int  be  givenof 
it.  It  was  a  passage  in  the  speech  of  an  envoy  fiom 
his  Brit  uiiLj  jNiajesty  to  the  (hike  of  Brandenbiirgh,  some 
years  ai-'O  :  A  capacity  to  do  goo;l,  not  only  "gives  a 
title  to  ir,  but  also  mukes  the  doing  of  it  a  duty."  Ink 
were  too  vile  a  liq-ior  to  write  that  passage.  Letters 
of  gold  were  too  mean  to  be  tlis  preservers  of  it.  Pa- 
per of  Amyanthus  f  w^ould  not  be  precious  and  pereu- 
nous  enougli  to  perpetuate  it. 


*Raro  simul  hoir.lnibus,  banafortuna,  bonaqe  mens  datur . 

|,\myanlhus  or  Asbestos,  a  sort  of  native  fossil  stone 
which  may  be  split  iiUo  threads,  mhI  rnadc  into  cloth  or  pa- 
pj-r.  It  is  not  injured  by  the  iii-e.  Pliny  siys  he  has  seen 
Napkias  made  of  it  thrown  into  the  fu'c  after  a  feast,  aiKt 
by  that  means  better  scoured  than  if  th^jy  had  bscn  waiihed 
ill  water.         See  Iiuc}clopedia..  Biit^ 


xvi.  PxJ'act. 

To  be  brief,  reader,  the  book  now  in  thy  hands,  is 
nothing  but  an  illustration  of  that  memorable  sentence. 
As  gold  is  capable  of  a  wonderful  dilatation,  (experiaient 
has  told  us  it  may  be  so  dilated,  that  the  hundred 
thousandth  part  of  a  grain  may  be  visible  without  a  nii- 
^^Toscope)  this  -'golden  sentence"  may  be  as  much  exten- 
ded :  no  man  can  say  how  much.  This  book  is  but  a 
beating  upon  it.  And  at  the  same  time  it  is  a  coni- 
inentavy  on  tliat  inspired  maxim,  "As  we  have  oppor- 
itinity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men."  Ga!.  vi.  10.  Ev- 
ery proposal  here  made  u})on  it  hopes  to  be  able  to  say, 
''when  I  am  tried,  I  shall  come  forth  as  s;old." 

I  am  well  aware  that  all  the  rales  of  discretion  andT 
behaviour  are  includetl  in  that  one  v.'ord,  modestij. 
But  it  will  be  no  breach  of  modesty  to  be  very  posi- 
tive in  asserting,  that  the  only  wisdom  cf  man  lies  ia 
conversing  with  the  great  God, and  his  glorious  Christ, 
and  in  engaging  as  many  others  as  we  can  to  joisi  \\\  h 
!js  in  this  our  blessedness  ;  thereby'  j)romoting  his  king- 
dom among  the  chikh-4'n  of  men  ;  and  in  studying  to  do 
good  to  all  about  us;  to  be  blessings  in  our  several  re- 
lations; to  heal  the  disorders,  and  help  the  distresses 
of  a  miserable  vrorld,  as  far  as  ever  we  can  extend  our 
influence.  It  will  be  no  trespass  upon  the  rules  of 
modesty,  with  all  possible  assurance  to  assert  that  no 
man  begins  to  be  wise  till  lie  come  to  make  this  the 
main  purpose  and  pleasure  of  his  life  :  yea,  that  every 
man  will  at  some  time  or  other  be  so  wise  as  to  own, 
th^.t  every  thing  without  this  is  but  folly ;  though,  alas  ! 
most  men  come  to  that  conclusion  too  late. 

Millions  of  men,  in  every  rank,  besides  those  whose 
dying  ihoiights  arc  collected  in  "The  Fair  Warning* 
10  a  careless  world  "  have  at  length,  declared  their  con- 
viction of  it.  It  will  be  no  immodesty  in  me  to  say^ 
that  the  man  who  is  not  satisfied  of  the  wisdom  of  ma- 
king it  the  work  of  his  life  to  do  good,  is  always  to  be 
noticed  v»ith  the  pity  due  to  an  ideot.  No  first  prin- 
ciples are  more  peremptorily  to  be  adhered  unto.  Or, 
do  but  grant  "A  judgment  to  come,"  and  uiy  assertion 
is  presently  victorious. 

I  will  not  be  immodest,  and  yet  I  will  boldly  say. 
The  mail  is  worse  tiian  a  Pajran,  who  will   not  cojun. 


Preface.  xviiv 

hiio  this  notion  of  things,  "Vir  bonus  est  commune  bo- 
iium  ;"*  and  "Vivit  is  qui  niultis  est  usui ;"  and  '-Util- 
ilate  homininum,  nil  debet  esse  homiiii  antiquius." 
*\\one  but  a  good  man  is  really  a  living  man  ;  and  the 
more  good  any  man  does,  the  more  he  really  lives."* 
All  the  rest  is  death  ;  or  belongs  to  it.  Yea,  you  must 
excuse  me,  if  I  say,  the  Mahometan,  also,  &]iall  con- 
demn the  man  \\\\o  comes  not  into  the  principles  oL' 
this  book  ;  for  I  think  it  occurs  no  less  than  three 
times  in  the  Koran  j  God  loves  those  that  are  inclined 
to  do  good." 

For  this  way  of  living,  if  we  are  fallen  into  a  gene- 
ration, wherein  men  will  cry,  (Sotah  !)  "He  is  a  fool," 
that  practises  it,  as  the  Rabbins  fortel  it  will  be  in  the 
generation  wherein  the  Messiah  comes  ;  j^et  there  will 
be  a  wiser  generation,  and  "wisdom  will  be  justi- 
fied of  her  children."  Among  the  Jews  there  has 
been  an  Ezra,  uhose  head  they  called  "The  throne  of 
wisdom."  Among  the  Greeks  there  has  been  a  Demo- 
Vritus,  who  was  called  Sophia  in  the  abstract.  The 
?iter  ages  knew  a  Gildas,  who  wore  the  surname  of 
Sapiens:  but  it  is  the  man  whose  temper  and  intent  it 
is  "to  do  good,"  that  is  the  wise  man  after  all.  And 
indeed,  had  a  man  the  hands  of  a  Briareus,  they  would 
all  be  too  few  to  do  good;  he  might  find  occasions  ta 
call  for  more  than  all  of  them.  The  English  nation 
had  once  a  sect  of  men  called  "Bons  homine-,"  or 
*'good  men"  The  ambition  of  this  book  is  to  revive 
and  enlarge  a  sect  that  may  claim  that  name  ;  yea,  to 
solicit  that  it  may  extend  beyond  the  bounds  of  a  sect, 
by  the  coming  of  all  men  into  it... 

Of  all  the  'trees  in  the  garden  of  God,"  which  i* 
there  that  envies  not  the  Palm-tree,  out  of  which  alone, 
as  Plutarch  informs  us,  the  Babylonians  derived  more 
than  three  hundred  commodities  ?  Or  the  Cocoatree, 
so  beneficial  to  man,  that  a  vessel  may  be  built,  ami 
rigged,  and  freighted,  and  victualled  from  that  alone  ? 
To  plant  such  "trees  of  righteousness,"  and  prune  them 
is  the  object  of  the  book  now  before  us. 

The  men  who  devise  good,  will  now  give  me  leare 


*  A  good  man  is  a  common  ^ood, 
B2. 


j^viii.  Tcefme, 

to  reniiail  tliem  of  few  things,  by  which  they  imy  be  a 
little  fortiSed  for  their  grand  intention  ;  for,  Sirs,  yot* 
are  to  pass  between  "'Bozez"  or  (dirty,)  and  'Seaeh," 
(or  thorny)  and  encounter  an  host  of  things  worse  than 
PhiJistiaes,  in  your  undertaking. 

Misconstruction  is  one  thing  against  which,  you  v.ill 
do  well  to  furnish  yourselves  with  the  armour  both  of 
prudence  and  of  patience  ;  prudence  to  prevent  it,  pa- 
tience to  endure  it.  You  will  unavoidably  bs  put  up- 
on doing  many  good  things,  which  other  people  will 
see  but  at  a  distance,  and  be  unacquainted  Avitn  the 
motives  and  methods  of  your  doing  them ;  yea,  they 
may  imagine  their  own  purposes  crossed  in  what  you 
do ;  and  this  will  expose  you  to  their  censures.  Yet 
more  particularly.  In  your  essays  to  do  good,  you 
may  happen  to  be  concerned  with  persons  whose  pow- 
er is  greater  than  their  virtue.  It  may  be  needful  as 
well  as  lawful,  for  you  to  mollify  them  with  acknowl- 
edgements of  those  things  in  them,  which  may  render 
them  honorable  or  considerable  ;  and  forbear  to  take 
notice,  at  present,  of  what  may  be  cul[)able.  In  this 
you  may  aim  at  nothing,  but  merely  to  be  more  able 
4o  do  them  good,  or,  by  their  means,  to  do  good  to  oth- 
ers :  and  yet,  if  you  are  not  very  cautious,  this  your 
civility  may  be  construed  to  your  disadvantage  :  espe- 
cially if  you  find  yourselves  obliged  either  to  change 
Vour  opinion  of  the  persons,  or  to  tax  any  miscarriage 
ta  them.  The  injustice  of  the  censures  upon  you,  may 
i)e  much  as  if  Paul,  rebuking  Felix  for  his  unrighteous- 
.»>e3s  and  unchastity,  should  have  been  reproached  with 
liis  inconsistency  in  having  so  lately  complimented 
Mm  on  his  accomplishments  and  acquaintance  Avilh 
the  aiTiii's  of  his  nation.  But  you  must  not  be  uneasy 
ifj^ou  should  be  thus  unju&tly  treated.  Jerom  had 
written  highly  of  Origen,  as  a  man  of  bright  endow- 
liients  ;  at  another  time  he  wrote  as  severely  against 
«iome  things  that  he  was  (perhaps  unjustly)  accused  of. 
They  chaiged  Jerom  with  levity,  yea,with  falsehood: 
but  he  despised  the  caluranj^  and  replied,  "I  did  com- 
mend what  1  thought  Avas  great  in  him  ;  and  now  I  con- 
demn what  I  find  to  be  evil  in  him."  Where  is  tiie 
contradiction  >  I  say,  be  cautious  j  but  I  say  again,  be 
J3ct  iineasy. 


Prc/dcc.  xiv. 

Wlial  I  add,  i-3,  tluit  you  inuit  be  above  al!  ilJ^ifoiir" 
npMiienle.  hbok  I'or  them,  and  \vith  a  iiiagaatiiuiodi 
eom'c<L;e  overlook  them. 

Sotrie  have  o!)ser\  ed,  tiial  the  most  concealed,  and- 
yet  tiie  mo^t  violent,  ol'all  our  pasj-ions,  is,  usually  thnt 
of  idleneo:-.  It  lays  adamantine  chiiins  of  death  and  vi' 
darkness  upon  us.  It  holds  in  chahjo,  that  cannot  be 
shaken  oft*  all  our  other  inclinations,  ho\ve\'er  imjiet- 
uoas.  That  no  more  mischief  is  done  in  the  world  is 
owing  in  great  measure  to  a  spontaneous  lassitude  on,. 
the  minds  of  men,  as  \ve)l  as  that  no  more  good  is,  ef- 
fected by  them.  A  Pharaoh  will  do  us,  no  wrong  if  he 
tell  us,  "Ye  are  idle,  ye  are  idle!"  We  have  usually 
more  strength  to  do  good,  than  we  have  inclination  to 
employ  it.  Sirs,  "be  up  and  be  doing!"  It  is,  surely, 
too  soon  for  an  "Bic  situs  est."* 

If  you  meet  with  vile  ingratitude  from  those  whom 
yon  have  laid  under  the  most  weighty  obligations;  do- 
liot  wonder  at  it..  Into  such  a  state  of  turpitude  is  man 
fallen,  that  he  would  bear  auy  weight  rather  than  that 
of  obligation.  Blen  will  acknowledge  small  obligations; 
but  return  Avondernil  malice  for  such  as  are  extraordin- 
ary. They  will  render  it  a  dangerous  thi!jg  to  be  ve- 
ry charitable  and  benenceat.  Communities  will  do 
it  as  well  as  individuals.  Excess  of  desert  turns  at 
length  into  a  kind  of  demerit.  Men  will  sooner  for- 
give great  injuries  than  great  services.  He  tliat  built 
a  matchless  castle  for  the  Poles,  for  bis  reward,  had  his 
eyes  put  out,  that  he  might  not  buisd  such  another. 
Such  things  arc  enough  to  make  one  siok  of  the  world ; 
but,  my  friend,  they  should  not  mak«  thee  sick  of  es- 
says to  do  good  in  tlie  world.  A  conformity  to  thy 
Saviour,  and  a  communion  with  bim,  will  be  sufficient, 
to  carry  thee  through  all  I 

It  will  be  impossible  to  avoid  envy,  "for  a  right 
work,"  and  for  a  good  one,  and  especially  if  a  man  do 
many  such,  "lie  shall  be  envied  of  his  neighbor,"  It 
is  almost  incredible  what  power  there  is  in  the  pride 
of  men  to  |>roduce  detraction !  pride,  working  in  a  sort 
€if  impatience,  that  any  n:iaa  should  be,  or  do  more 


*  K-:re  lies  Ir/.^rrod; 


x.\-  Preface. 

than  themselves.  "The  nihids  of  men,"  as  one  says, 
*']iave  got  the  vaj)0ur3;  a  sweet  report  of  any  one 
throws  them  into  convulsions,*  a  foul  one  refreshes 
them.*'  You  must  bear  all  the  outrage  of  it;  and  there 
is  but  one  sort  of  revenge  to  be  allowed  3'ou.  "There 
u  not  any  revenge  more  heroical,  than  that  which  tor- 
ments envy,  by  doing  good.'' 

It  is  a  surprising  passage,  Avhicb  a  late  French  au- 
thor has  given  us  ;  '°tbata  man  of  great  merit  is  a  kind 
of  [tublic  enemy.  And  that  by  engrossing  a  multitude 
of  applauses,  which  would  serve  to  gratify  a  great  ma- 
ny others,  he  cannot  but  be  envied  ;  and  that  men  nat- 
urally hate,  what  they  highly  esteem,  yet  cannot  love.'* 
But,  my  readers,  let  us  not  be  surprised  at  it.  You 
have  read,  who  suffered  the  ostracism  at  Athens ;  and 
what  a  pretty  reason  the  country  fellow  offered  why 
lie  gave  his  voice  for  the  banishment  of  Aristides ; 
^'Because  he  was  every  where  alwaj^s  called  The  Just;" 
and  for  what  reason  tiie  Ephori  laid  a  fine  on  Agesi- 
laus;  "because  he  possessed,  above  ali  other  men,  the 
hearts  of  the  Lacedffimonians."  You  have  read  the 
reason  why  the  Ephesians  expelled  the  best  of  their 
citizens  ;  "if  any  are  deteraiined  to  excel  their  neigh- 
bors, let  them  find  another  place  to  do  it."'*  You  have 
read  that  he,  who  conquered  Hannibal,  saw  it  neces- 
sary to  retire  from  Rome,  that  the  merit  of  others  might 
be  more  noticed.  My  authors  tell  me,  that  "at  all 
times  nothing  has  been  more  dangerous  among  men 
than  too  illustrious  a  degree  of  merit."  But,  my  rea- 
ders, the  terror  of  this  envy  must  not  inlimidate  you. 
I  must  press  you  to  do  good,  and  be  so  far  from  af- 
fVighted  at  it,  you  shall  rather  be  generously  delighted 
with  the  most  envious  deplumations. 

I  wish  1  may  prove  a  false  prophet  when  I  foretel 
one  discouragement  more  which  you  will  have  to  con- 
tend with  ;  I  mean — derision.  And  pray  let  not  my 
prediction  be  derided.     It  was  long  since  noted, 

For  ridicule  shall  frequently  prevail, 

And  cut  the  knot  when  graver  reasons  fail-f      Francii;. 


*  Nemo  de  nobis  unasexcellat ;  sed  si  quis  extiterit,   alio 
in  loco,  et  apud  alios  sit. 

f  Ridicuium  agri  fortius  et  melius  niagnas  plerumque  se»- 
cat  res. 


Preface.  xxL 

It  is  a  thing  of  late  starteil,  that  the  way  of  banter  ami 
ridicule,  or,  the  "Bartholomew-Fair-method,"  as  they 
call  it,  is  a  more  effectual  way  to  di.-courage  all  good- 
ness, and  put  it  out  of  countenance,  than  fn-e  and 
lagsot.  No  cruelties  are  so  insupportable  to  humanity 
as  -'cruel  moclvings."  It  is  extremely  probable  that 
the  devil  being  somewhat  chained  up,  in  several  places^ 
IVoni  other  ways  of  persecution,  Avill  more  than  ever 
ap,'>ly  himself  to  this.  Essays  to  do  good  shall  be  de- 
rided with  all  the  art  and  wit  that  he  can  inspire  into 
his  Janizaries:  (a  yani  cheer,  or,  a  new  order,  the 
grand  seignor  of  hell  has  instituted.)  Exquisite  pro- 
taneness  and  buffoonery  shall  try  their  skill  to  laugh 
people  out  of  them.  The  men  who  abound  in  them 
shall  be  exposed  on  the  stage ;  libels>  and  lampoons, 
.'nid  satires,  the  most  poignant  that  ever  vrere  invent- 
<  d,  sliall  be  darted  at  them ;  and  pamphlets  full  of  lying 
stories  be  scattered,  with  a  design  to  make  them  ri- 
diculous. "In  this  the  devil  may  be  discovered  at 
work."*  The  devil  will  try  ^\htther  the  fear  of  being 
luighed  at  will  not  scare  a  zeal  to  do  good  out  of  the 
v^orid  "But  Set  this  rather  increase  your  boldness  and 
zeal.''  t  Sirs,  "despise  the  shame,"  whatever  "contra- 
tiictlon  of  sljiners"  you  meet  with  ;  you  know  what  ex- 
ample did  so  before  you.  "Quit  you  like  men,  be 
strong;"  you  know  who  gives  you  the  direction.  Say 
v.ith  resolution,  "the  proud  have  had  me  greatly  in 
derision,  yet  have  not  I  declined  to  do  as  much  good 
ai»  I  could  1"  If  you  should  arrive  to  a  share  in  such 
f^ufferingf,  I  will  humbly  "shew  you  mine  opinion**  a- 
bout  the  best  conduct  under  them;  it  is,  neglect  and 
contempt.  I  have  a  wliole  universit}^  on  my  side ;  the 
njiiversity  of  Hehnstadt,  upon  a  late  abuse  offered  to  it, 
bad  this  noble  passage  in  a  declaration  ;  "Resolved, 
that  we  use  no  other  remedy  in  this  affair,  than  a  gen- 
erous silence  and  a  holy  contempt.'*}:  Go  on  to  do 
good ;  and  ''go  well,  comely  in  your  going,"  like  the 
noble  creature,  which  *'tarneth  not  away  for  any."    A 


*  Hie  se  aperit  dlabolus  ! 
fSed  tu  coitva  audenlioi-  ito. 
i  Visum  fuit,  non  alio  remedio,  quam  g-cr.eroso  silcntio,  et 
pio  contevpptu,  utcnJani  ncbls  esse. 


sxii.  Preface, 

iife  spent  in  iudustiious  essays  to  do  good  will  be  jour 
powerful  and  perpetual  viridication.  It  will  give  yoa 
such  a  Avell-established  interest  in  the  minds  where 
conscience  is  consulted,  that  a  few  squibbing,  silly, 
impotent  accusations,  will  never  be  able  to  extinguish 
it.  If  they  ridicule  you  in  their  printed  excursions, 
your  name  will  be  so  oiled  that  ink  will  not  adhere  to 
it.  I  remember  that  Valerianus  Magnus  being  abus- 
ed by  a  Jesuit,  who  had  labored  (by  a  '-modest  inqui-- 
ry,"  you  may  be  sure !)  to  make  him  ridiculous,  made 
no  other  defence,  but  only  on  every  stroke  adjoined, 
''Mentiris  impudentissime  t"  "It  is  a  most  impudent 
lie  !"  And  such  an  answer  might  very  truely  be  given 
to  every  line  of  some  stories  that  I  have  seen  else- 
where brewed  by  another,  who  is  no  Jesuit.  But  even 
so  much  answer  to  their  folly  is  too  much  notice  of  it. 
It  is  well  observed  that  "the  contempt  of  such  dis- 
courses discredits  them,  and  takes  away  tiie  pleasure 
from  those  that  make  them."  And  it  is  another  olssrva- 
tion,  "that  when  they  of  whom  we  heard  \tcY  ill,  are 
yet  found  upon  trial  to  be  very  good,  we  naturally 
conclude  that  they  have  a  merit  which  is  troublesome 
to  some  other  people."  The  rule  then  is,  be  very  good  ," 
yea,  do  very  much  good ;  and  cast  a  generous  disd.iin 
upon  contumelies;  the  great  remedy  against  them.  If 
you  want  a  pattern,  I  can  give  you  an  imperial  one  ; 
it  was  Vespasian,  who,  when,  a  person  spake  evil  of 
him,  said,  "while  I  do  nothing  that  merits  reproaclij 
these  lies  give  me  no  uneasiness."*  And  I  am  deceiv- 
ed if  it  he  not  an  easy  thing  to  be  as  honest  a  man  as 
a  Vespasian ! 

Sirs !  An  unfalnting  resolution  to  do  good,  and  ^n 
unwearied  well-doing,  is  that  which  is  now  urged  upon^ 
you.     And  may  tiiis  little  book  be  so  happy,  as  here- 
in to  perform  the  olliee  of  a  monitor  to  the  reader. 

I  do  not  find  that  I  have  spent  so  many  weeks  in 
composing  the  book,  as  Descartes,  thougli  a  profourul 
geometrician,  spent  in  studying  the  solution  of  one 
geometrical  question  :  yet  the  composure  has  exceed- 
ed the  limits  which  I  intended ;  and  there  is  not  asln- 


*  Ego,  cum  nihil  faciam  dignum  propter  quod  coatume'xia 
afficiai',  mendacia  nliiil  euro. 


Preface,  xxiii, 

gle  propo??il  in  it,  -which  woul(|  not,  if  well  pursuftl, 
aflbnl  a  more  solid  and  durable  satisfaction  to  the 
mind,  than  the  solution  of  all  the  problems  in  Euclid, 
«rin  Pappus,  li  is  a  vanity  in  writers  to  compliment 
the  readers  with,  "1  am  sorry  it  is  no  better."  Instead 
of  which,  I  freely  tell  my  readers,  "1  have  written 
what  is  not  unworthy  of  their  perusal."  If  I  did  not 
think  so,  truly,  I  would  not  publish  it :  for  no  man  liv- 
ing has  demanded  it  of  me ;  it  is  not  published  "to 
gratif}^  the  importunity  of  friends,"  as  your  authors  are 
used  to  say ;  but  it  is  to  use  importunity  w  ith  others, 
in  a  point,  on  which  I  thought  they  needed  it.  And 
I  will  venture  to  say,  there  is  not  one  whimsey  in  all 
my  proposals.  I  propose  no  object  concerning  which 
the  conscience  of  every  good  man  will  not  say,  "It 
were  well  if  it  could  be  accomplished."  That  writer 
was  in  the  right  who  said,  "1  cannot  understand  how 
any  lionest  man  can  print  a  book,  and  yet  profefs  that 
he  thinks  none  will  be  the  wiser  or  better  for  the  read- 
ing it.  Indeed  I  own  that  my  subject  is  worth}'-  to 
be  much  better  treated  ;  and  my  manner  of  treating  it 
is  not  such  as  to  embolden  me  to  affix  my  name  to  it, 
as  the  famous  painter,  Titian  did  to  his  pieces,  with 
a  double  fecit,  Jecit ;  as  much  as  to  say,  "Very  well 
<lone  !"  and  I  must  have  utterly  suppressed  it,  had  I 
been  of  the  same  humour  with  Cimabus,  another  fam- 
ous painter,  wiio,  if  himself  or  any  other  detected  the 
least  fault  in  his  pieces,  would  utterly  destroy  them, 
tliough  he  had  bestowed  a  twelve-months  pains  upon 
them.  Yet  I  will  venture  to  say,  the  book  is  full  of 
reasonable  and  serviceable  things^  and  it  would  be 
well  for  us  if  such  things  were  regarded  ;  and  I  have 
tlone  well  to  propose  them. 

Who  the  author  is,  there  is  no  need  of  enquiring. 
This  will  be  unavoidably  known  in  the  vicinity  :  but 
bis  writing  wiihout  a  name  (as  well  as  not  for  one,) 
will  conceal  it  from  most  of  tho?e  to  whom  the  book 
may  come.  And  the  concealment  of  his  name,  he 
apprehends,  may  be  of  some  use  to  the  book;  for  now, 
not  who,  but  what,  is  the  ouly  thing  to  be  considered.* 

*  This  treatise  was  originally  published  without  the  name 
•f  the  author. 


Siir.  Freface. 

It  was  a  vanity  in  one  author,  and  there  may  be  too 
many  guilty  of  the  like,  to  demand,  "Ubi  inealegis,  me 
agnosce."  In  plain,  unblushing  English,  "reader, 
•whatever  you  do,  account  the  author  somebody."  But, 
I  pray.  Sir,  who  are  ?/o?i,  that  mankind  should  be  at  all 
concerned  about  you  ?  He  was  almost  as  great  a  man 
as  any  ecclesiastical  preferments  could  make  him,  who 
yet  would  not  have  so  much  as  his  name  in  his  epi- 
taph ;  he  would  only  have,  "Here  lies  a  shadow — ashes 
—nothing  ;"*  There  shall  be  no  other  name  on  this 
composure,  "Here  is  a  book  written,  or  rather  attemp- 
ted, by  one  who  is  a  shadow — ashes — nobody."f 

However,  he  is  very  strongly  persuaded,  that  there 
is  a  day  very  near  at  hand,  when  books,  of  such  a  ten- 
dency as  this,  will  be  the  most  welcome  things  imag- 
inable to  many  thousands  of  readers,{  and  have  more 
than  one  edition.  Yea,  great  will  be  the  army  of  them 
that  publish  them!  M.DCC.XVI.  is  coming. 

A  vast  variety  of  new  ways  to  do  good  will  be  in- 
vented ;  "Paths"  v*'hich  no  fowl  of  the  best  flight  at 
noble  designs  has  yet  known  ;  and  which  the  vulture's 
most  piercing  eye  has  not  yet  seen  ;  and  where  the 
lions  of  the  strongest  resolution  have  never  passed. 

In  the  mean  time,  North  Britain  will  be  distinguish- 
ed (pardon  me,  if  I  use  the  term,  Goshenized,)  by  ir- 
radiations from  heaven  upon  it,  of  such  a  tendency. 
There  will  be  found  a  set  of  excellent  men  in  that  re- 
formed and  renowned  church  of  Scotland,  wilh  whom 
the  most  refined  and  extensive  essays  to  do  good  will 
become  so  natural,  that  the  whole  world  will  fare  the 
better  for  them.  To  these,  this  book  is  humbly  pre- 
sented by  a  great  admirer  of  the  good  things  daily  do- 
ing among  them;  as  knowing,  that  if  no  where  else, 
yet  among  them,  it  will  find  some  reception  ;  they 
will  "not  be  forgetful  to  entertain  such  a  stranger !" 

*Hlc  jacet,  umbra,  clnis,  nihil. 

f  Hie  scribit  (vel  scripturire  studet  et  audet)  umbra,  clnis* 
nihil. 

+  The  day  is  come.  We  have  the  happiness  to  live  in  an 
age  and  in  a  country,  wherein  schemes  of  usefulness  are  not 
only  proposed  and  accepted,  but  executed.  What  the  au- 
thor's expectations  were  of  the  year  I/IS  are  not  knowa  to 
the  Editor, 


Prffaze,  xxy. 

The  censure  of  "writing  too  much,"  (though  he 
pliould  go  as  far  as  Terentianus  Carthaginensis  tells  us 
Varroditl,)  he  accounts  not  worth  answering.  And 
pray,  why  not  also  "preaching  too  much  T*  But  Eras- 
mus, who  wrote  more,  has  furnished  him  with  an  an- 
swer, which  is  ail  that  he  ever  intends  to  give ;  "Ac- 
cusant quod  nimium  fecerini ;  conscientia  mca  me  ac- 
cusat,  quod  minus  fecerim,  quodque  lentior  fuerim." 
In  i)lain  English,  the  censure  of  others  upbraids  me 
that  I  have  done  so  much  ;  my  own  conscience  con- 
demns me  that  I  have  done  so  little;  the  good  Goo 
forgive  my  slothfulne^s ! 


c 


ESSJYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


MUCH  OCCASION   FOR  DOING  GOOD. 

SUCH  glorious  things  are  spoken  in  the  oracles  of 
God,  concerning  them  who  devise  good,  that  a  book: 
OF  GOOD  DEVICES  may  reasonably  demand  attention 
and  acceptance  from  those  who  have  any  impresBionn^ 
of  the  most  reasonable  religion  upon  them.  I  am  de- 
vising such  a  BOOK  ;  but  at  the  same  time  offering  a 
sorrowful  demonstration,  that  if  men  would  set  them- 
selves to  devise  good,  a  world  of  good  might  be  done 
more  than  is  now  done,  in  this  "present  evil  world.''^ 
Much  is  requisite  to  be  done  that  the  great  God  and 
his  Christ  may  be  more  known  and  served  in  the 
world  ;  and  that  the  errors  which  prevent  men  from 
glorifying  their  creator  and  re  deemer  may  be  rectified. 
Much  is  necessary  to  be  done  that  the  evil  manners  of 
the  world,  by  which  men  are  drowned  in  perdition, 
may  be  reformed  ;  and  mankind  rescued  from  the  epi- 
demical corruption  which  has  overvvhelmed  it.  Much 
must  be  done  that  the  miseries  of  the  world  may  have 
suitable  remedies  provided  for  them ;  and  that  the 
wretched  may  be  relieved  and  comforted.  The  world 
contains,  it  is  supposed,  about  a  thousand  milliGns  of 
inhabitants.  What  an  ample  field  do  these  afford,  for 
doing  good  !  In  a  word,  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the 
world  calls  for  innumerable  services  from  us.  To  do 
fcuch  thing*  is  to  do  good.     Those  meu  devise  goodj 


2B.  KS3AY3  TO  DO  GOOD. 


who  form  plans  which  have  such  a  tendency,  whether 
the  objects  be  of  a  temporal  or  spiritual  nature.  You^ 
see  the  general  matter,  appearing  as  yet  but  a  chaos, 
which  is  to  be  wrought  upon.  O  !  that  the  good  Spirit 
of  God  may  now  fall  upon  us,  and  carry  oa  the  glori- 
ous work  which  lies  before  us  1 


Tha  excellence  of  Well  doing. 

It  may  be  presumed  tliat  my  readers  will  readil/ 
admit,  that  it  is  an  excellent  thing  to  be  full  of  device* 
to  bring  about  such  noble  designs.  For  any  man  to 
deride  or  despise  my  proposal,  "That  we  resolve  anil 
study  to  do  as  much  good  in  the  world  as  we  can," 
would  be  the  mark  of  so  black  a  character,  that  I  am 
almost  unwiliing  to  suppose  its  existence.  Let  no  man 
pretend  to  the  name  of  a  christian,  who  does  not  ap- 
prove the  proposal  of  a  perpetual  endeavor  to  do  good 
in  the  world.  What  pretension  can  such  a  man  have 
to  be  a  follower  of  the  Good  One  "i  The  primitive 
christians  gladly  accepted  and  improved  the  name, 
^vhen  the  Pagans,  by  a  mistake,  styled  them  Chres- 
tians  ;  because  it  signified,  useful  o*ies.  The  chris- 
tians, who  have  no  ambition  to  be  such,  shall  be  con» 
demned  by  the  Pagans;  among  whom  it  was  a  title  of 
the  highest  honor  to  be  termed,  "a  Benefactor ;"  To 
Lave  done  good,  was  accounted  honorable.  The  phi» 
|Osopher  being  asked,  Why  every  one  desired  to  gaze 
on  a  fair  object,  answered,  that  it  was  the  question  o£ 
a  blind  mm.  If  any  man  ask,  why  it  k  so  necessary 
to  do  good  ?  T  mast  say,  it  sounds  not  like  the  ques- 
tiiin  of  a  good  man.  The  "spiritual  taste"  of  every 
jcOvl  man  will  give  him  an  unspeakable  reliirh  for  it. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  2A 

S"ea,  unworthy  to  be  tlecmed  a  man,  is  he,  v«ho  is  nol 
i'ov  doing  good  among  men.  An  enemy  to  the  propo- 
sal, "that  mankind  may  be  the  better  for  us,"  deserves 
to  be  reckoned  Jittle  better  than  a  common  enemy  of 
mankind.  How  cogently  do  I  bespeak  a  good  recep- 
tion of  what  is  now  designed  !  I  produce  not  only  re 
iigion,  but  even  humanity  itself,  as  full  of  a  "fiery  in- 
dignation against  the  adversaries"  of  the  design.  Ex- 
cuse me,  Sirs  ;  I  declare,  that  if  I  could  have  my 
choice,  I  would  never  eat,  or  drink,  or  walk,  with  such 
a  one,  as  long  as  I  live  ;  or  look  on  him  as  any  other 
than  one  by  w'hom  humanity  itself  is  debased  and 
blemished.  A  very  wicked  writer  has  yet  found  him- 
self  compelled,  by  the  force  of  reason,  to  publish  thl? 
confession  :  "To  love  the  public  ;  to  study  the  univer- 
sal good;  and  to  promote  the  interest  of  the  whole 
worhl,  as  far;  ^  it  is  in  our  pov/er,  is  surely  the  highest, 
goodness,  and  constitutes  that  temper,  which  we  cal! 
divine."  And  he  proceeds — "Is  doing  good  for  the 
sake  of  glory  so  divine  ?" — (alas  t  too  much  human  !) 
"or,  is  it  not  more  divine  to  do  good,  even  where  it 
may  be  thought  inglorious ;  even  to  the  ungrateful,  and 
to  those  who  are  wholly  insensible  of  the  good  they 
receive  ?"  A  man  must  be  far  gone  in  wickedness, 
who  will  open  his  mouth  against  such  maxims  and  ac- 
tions !  A  better  pen  has  remarked  it ;  yea^  the  man 
must  be  much  a  stranger  to  history,  who  has  not  made 
the  remark  :  "To  speak  truth,  and  to  do  good,  were,  in 
the  esteem  even  of  the  heathen  world,  most  God-like 
qualities."  God  forbid,  that  there  should  be  any  abate- 
ment of  esteem  for  taose  qualities  iu.  the  cliribtiuiii 
world  J 


G2. 


3Q,  ESSAYS  TO  DO  C001}» 


The  Reward  of  Well-Doing. 


1  WILL  not  yet  propose  the  Reward  of  well-doitig 
and  the  glorious  things  which  the  mercy  and  truth  of 
God  will  perform  for  those  who  devise  good ;  because*- 
I  would  have  to  do  with  such  as  esteem  it  a  sufficient, 
reward  to  itself.  I  will  suppose  my  readers  to  be  pos-~ 
sessed  of  that  ingenuous  temper,  which  will  induce  them 
to  account  themselves  well  rewarded  in  the  thing  it- 
self, if  God  will  permit  them  to  do  good  in  the  world. 
It  is  an  invaluable  honor  to  do  good;  it  is  an  incom- 
parable pleasure.  A  man  must  look  upon  himself  as 
dignified  and  gratified  by  God,  when  an  opportunity  to 
do  good  is  p-iit  into  his  hands.  He  must  embrace  it  with: 
rapture,  as  enabling  him  to  answer  the  great  end  of 
iiis  being.  He  must  manage  it  with  rapturous  delightj 
as  a  most  suitable  business,  as  a  most  precious  privilege^ 
He  must  *'sing  in  those  ways  of  the  Lord,"  wherein  he 
cannot  but  find  himself  while  he  is  doing  good.  As 
the  saint  of  old  sweetly  sang,  "I  was  glad  when  they 
said  unto  me,  let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  ;" 
so  ought  we  to  be  glad  when  any  opportunity  of  doing 
good  is  presented  to  us.  Vie  should  need  no  argu- 
ments to  incline  us  to  entertain  the  offer;  but  should 
naturally  fly  into  the  matter,  as  most  agreeable  to  that 
"divine  nature"  of  which  we  are  made  partakers.  It 
should  gratify  us  wonderfully;  as  much  as  if  an  ingot 
of  gold  were  presented  to  us!  We  should  rejoice  a3 
having  obtained  the  utmost  of  our  wishes.  Some  ser- 
vants of  God  have  been  so  intent  on  this  object,  that 
ibey  have  cheerfully  proposed  to  make  any  recompeuse 


liSSAYS  TO  n<j  COOD.  31'. 


that  could  he  desired,  to  a  IVieiid  wlio  would  supply  the 
barrenness  of  their  own  thoughts,  an<l  suggest  any  spe- 
cial methods  by  which  they  might  he  useful.  Certain* 
'ty,  to  do  good,  is  a  thing  that  brings  its  own  recoiji- 
pense,  in  the  opinion  of  those  who  deejn  informatiun 
on  this  head  worthy  of  a  recompense.  I  will  only  say, 
that  if  any  of  my  readers  are  strangers  to  such  a  dispo- 
sition as  this,  and  do  not  consider  themselves  enriched 
and  favored  of  Goa  when  he  employs  them  in  doing, 
good — with  such  persons  I  have  done,  and  v^ould  beg 
them  to  lay  the  book  aside;  it  will  be  irksome  to  carry 
on  any  further  conversation  with  them ;  it  is  a  subject 
on  which  the  house  of  Caleb  will  not  be  conversed 
with.  I  will  be  content  with  one  of  Br.  Stoughton** 
introductions;  "It  is  enough  for  me  that  I  speak  to 
wise  7nc7ii  whose  reason  shall  be  my  rhetoric ;  to  chris- 
Hans,  whose  conscience  shall  be  my  eloquence.'* 

Though  the  assertion  may  fly  like  a  chain  shot  a- 
mongst  us,  and  rake  down  all  befjre  it,  I  will  again  ani 
again  assert,  that  every  one  of  us  might  do  more  good; 
tiian  he  does :  and  therefore  this  is  the  first  proposal  I; 
would  make.  To  be  exceedingly  humbled  that  we- 
have  done  so  little  good  in  the  world,  I  am  not  un- 
charitable in  saying,  that  I  know  not  one  assembly  of 
christians  on  earth,  which  ought  not  to  be  a  Bochim, 
on  this  consideration.  0  I  tell  me  in  what  Utopia  I; 
shall  find  it.  Sirs !  let  us  begin  to  be  fruitful,  by  la- 
menting our  past  unfruitfalness..  Verily,  bins  of  omis- 
sion must  be  confessed  and  lamented,  or  else  we  add  to- 
their  number.  The  most  useful  men  in  the  world  have  ■ 
gone  out  of  it,  crying,  ''Lord,  forgive  our  sins  of  omis- 
sion I"  Many  a  good  man,  who  has  been  peculiarly  con- 
scientious about  the  proti table  employment  of  his  time,, 
has  bad  his  death  bed  rendered  uaeasy  by  this  reflect 


32.  E5JAY3  TO  1)0  COOS- 

tion,  "tlie  loss  of  time  now  lies  heavy  iJ4)ou  oie !'  CeF- 
tain  it  is,  that  all  uoregenerate  peisons  are  unprofit»» 
ble  persons;  and  they  are  properly  compared  to  "thorns 
and  briars,"  to  teach  us  what  they  are.  An  unrenew- 
ed sinner !  alas,  he  never  performed  one  good  work  in 
all  Ids  life !  In  all  his  liff:,  did  1  say  ?  I  recal  that  word. 
He  is  "dead  while  he  liveth" — he  is  *'dead  in  sin  ;"  he 
lie  has  not  yet  begun  to  "live  unto  God;"  and  as  he  is 
himself  dead,  so  are  all  his  works ;  they  are  "dead 
works."  O,  wretched,  useless  being !  Wonder,  won- 
der, at  the  patience  of  Heaven,  which  yet  forbears  to 
Gut  down  such  "a  cumberer  of  the  ground !"  O  tiiat 
such  persons  may  immediately  acknowledge  the  neces- 
sity of  turning  to  God  ;  and  how  unable  they  are  to  do 
it;  and  unworthy  they  are  that  God  should  make  them 
able !  O  that  they  may  cry  to  God  for  his  sovereign 
grace  to  quicken  them ;  and  let  them  plead  the  sacri- 
fice of  Christ  for  their  reconciliation  to  God  ;  seriously 
resolve  on  a  life  of  obedience  to  G  od,  and  resign  theiu- 
seives  up  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  he  may  lead  them  ia 
the  paths  of  holiness !  No  good  will  be  done,  till  thig 
^  foe  done.  The  first-born  oi  all  devices  to  do  good,  is 
in  being  born  agam»^ 

But  as  for  you,  who  have  been  brought  home  io- 
God  ;  you  have  great  cause  not  only  to  lament  the  dark 
days  of  your  unregeneracy,  in  which  you  produced  on- 
ly <'the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness;"  but  also  that  you 
have  done  so  little,  since  God  has  quickened  you,  and 
enabled  you  to  do  better.  How  little  have  you  lived 
up  to  those  strains  of  gratitude  which  might  justly 
have  been  expected  from  you,  since  God  brought  yon 
into  his  "marvellous  light !"  The  best  of  us  may  mourn 
in  his  complaints,  and  say,  "O  Lord,  how  little  good 
Jiave  I  done,  compared  with  what  I  might  have  done  T' 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  33* 


Lf^l  the  sense  of  this  cause  us  to  loathe  and  judge  our- 
selves before  the  Lord;  let  it  fill  us  with  shame,  and 
abase  us  wonderfully.  Let  as,  like  David,  "water  our 
couch  with  tears,"  when  we  consider  how  little  2;ood 
we  have  done.  "O  that  our  heads  were  waters,"  be- 
cause they  have  been  so  dry  of  all  thoughts  to  do  good. 
"O  (hat  our  eyes  were  a  fountain  of  tears,"  because  they 
have  looked  out  so  little  for  occasions  to  do  good.  For 
the  pardon  of  this  evil-doing,  let  us  fly  to  the  great  sa- 
crifice, and  plead  the  blood  of  that  "Lamb  ov  God,'' 
whose  universal  ii&efulness  is  one  of  those  admirable 
properties,  on  account  of  which  he  is  styled  "a  Lamb." 
The  pardou  of  our  barrenness  of  good  works  being  thus 
obtaioed,  we  shall  be  rescued  from  condemnation  to 
perpetual  barrenness:  the  dreadful  sentence,  "  let  no 
fruit  grow  on  thee  for  ever,"  will  thus  be  prevented. 
A  true,  evangelical  procedure  ta  do  good,  must  have 
this  repentance  laid  in  the  foundation  of  it.  We  do  not 
"handle  the  matter  wisely"  if  a  foundation  be  not  hid 
ihus  low,  and  in  the  deepest  self-abasement. 

How  full  of  devices  are  we  for  our  own  secular  advan- 
tage !  and,  how  expert  in  deviiing  many  little  things  to 
be  done  for  ourselves  !  AVe  apply  our  thoughts  with 
niightj^  assiduity  to  the  old  question,  "what  shall  we 
eat  and  drink,  and  wherewithal  shall  v/e  be  c!ot!ifd?" 
With  strong  application  of  mind  we  enquire,  what  shalJ 
we  do  for  ourselves,  in  our  marriages,  in  oiir  voyages, 
in  our  bargains  ?  We  anxiously  contrive  to  accomplish 
our  plansandavoid  numerous  inconveniences, to  which, 
without  some  contrivance,  we  should  be  obnoxious.  We 
carry  on  the  business  of  our  personal  callings,  with  num- 
berless thoughts  how^  to  perform  them  well ;  and  to  eifect 
our  temporal  affairs  we  ''find  out  witty  inventions." 
But,  0  rational,  iiuaioi'tal,  hcuveii-bcrii  sou?,  are  thjc 


3i4.  E»SATS  TO  CO  CSOOD. 


"wondrous  faculties  capable  of  no  greater  improvements^ 
no  better  employments  ?  Why  should  a  soul  of  such 
high  capacities,  a  soul  that  may  be  clothed  in  the 
"scarlet"  of  angels,  yet  "embrace  a  dunghill !"  0  let 
a  blush,  deeper  than  scarlet,  be  thy  clothing,  for  being 
found  so  meanly  occupied.  Alas,  in  the  multitude  of 
thy  thoughts  within  thee,  hast  thou  no  disposition  to 
raise  thy  soul  to  some  such  thoughts  as  these,  what 
may  be  done  for  Gob,  for  Christ,  for  my  own  soul, 
and  for  the  most  important  interests  of  mankind  ?  How 
many  hundreds  of  thoughts  Iiave  we  for  ourselves,  to 
one  for  God,  his  cause,  and  his  people  in  the  world ! 
How  then  can  we  pretend  that  we  love  him,  or  prove 
that  a  carnal,  a  criminal  self-love  has  not  the  dominioa 
over  us  ?  I  again  come  to  a  soul  of  heavenly  extract, 
and  smite  it,  as  the  angel  smote  the  sleeping  prisoner, 
and  cry,  "av/ake  !  shake  off  thy  chains*  Lie  no  lon- 
ger fettered  in  a  base  conlinement !  Assert  the  liberty 
of  thinking  oa  the  noblest  question  in  the  world,  "what 
good  may  I  do  in  the  world  ?"  There  was  a  time  when 
it  was  lamented  by  no  less  a  man  than  Gregory  the 
great,  the  Bishop  of  Ronie,  "I  am  sunk  into  the  world !" 
This  may  be  the  complaint  of  a  soul  that  minds  every 
thing  else,  and  rarely  recollects  that  noblest  question, 
Ah!  "star  fallen  from  heaven,"  and  choaked  in  dust, 
rise  and  soar  up  to  something  answerable  to  thy  origin. 
Begin  a  course  of  thoughts,  which  will  be  like  a  resur- 
rection from  the  dead ;  and  pursue  the  grand  inquiry^ 
*'hovv  may  I  become  a  blessing  to  the  world  ?"  and, 
^*vvhat  m  ly  I  do,  that  righteousness  may  dwell  oa  the 
©ayth." 


«S«AYS  TO  DO  GtGty.  ^5^ 


The  diligmtt  of  wicked  men  indoing  evil. 


How  much,  mischief  may  be  done  by  one  wicket! 
man  !  Yea,  sometimes,  one  wicked  man,  of  slender  a- 
bilities,  becoming  an  indefatigable  tool  of  the  devil,  may 
effect  incredible  mischief  in  the  world.  We  have  seen 
some  wretched  instruments,  of  cursed  memory,  ply  the 
intention  of  doing  mischief  at  a  strange  rate,  till  they 
have  ruined  a  whole  country.  It  is  a  melancholy 
consideration,  and  I  may  say,  an  astonishing  one  :  you 
•will  hardly  find  one  of  a  thousand  who  does  half  so 
much  to  serve  God  and  his  own  soul,  as  you  may  see 
done  by  thousands  to  serve  the  devil.  A  horrible 
thing ! 

"O  my  soul,  thy  Maker,  and  thy  Saviour,  so  worthy 
of  thy  love,  a  Lord,  whose  infinite  goodness  will  fol- 
low all  thou  dost  for  him,  with  remunerations,  beyond 
all  conception  glorious  ;  how  little,  how  little  is  it  that 
thou  dost  for  him!  at  the  same  time,  look  into  thy 
neighborhood.  See  there,  a  monster  of  wickedness 
who,  to  his  uttermost,  will  serve  a  master  that  will 
prove  a  destroyer  to  him,  and  whose  wages  will  be 
death ;  he  studies  how  to  serve  the  devil ;  he  is  never 
weary  of  his  drudgery  ;  he  racks  his  invention  to  go 
through  with  it.  Ah !  he  shames  me  ;  he  shames  me 
wonderfully  !  "0  my  God,  I  am  ashamed,  and  blush, 
to  lift  up  my  face  unto  thee." 

We  read  of  a  man  **who  deviseth  mischief  upon  his 
h^{X ;   who  setteth  himself  iii  a  way  that  is  not  good. 


56.  Assays  to  do  gooi). 

Now,  why  should  not  we  be  as  active,  as  frequent,  as 
forward  in  devising  good  ?  Why  should  not  we  be  as 
•wise  to  do  good,  as  he  ib  to  do  evil  ?    I  am  sure  that 
we  hav«  a  better  cause,  and   better  reasons  for  it. 
Keadcr,  though,  perhaps,  thou  art  one  who  makest  but 
a  little  figure  in  the  world,   "a  brother  of  low  degree,'* 
yet,  behold  a  vast  encouragement !   a  little  rnan  may 
do  a  great  deal  of  harm ;   and  pray,  why  may  not  a  lit- 
tle man  do  a  great  deal  of  good  ?     It  is  possible   that 
*'the  wisdom  of  a  poor  man"  may  start  a  proposal  which 
may  *'save  a  city,"  serve  a  nation!    A  single  hair,  ap- 
plied to  a  flyer  that  has  other  wheels  depending  on  it, 
may  pull  up  an  oak,  or  pull  down  a  house. 

It  is  very  observable,  that  when  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ   would   recommend  zeal  for  the  kingdom  cif 
heaven,  he  did  not  propose  for  our  imitation,  the  exam- 
ple of  honest  wisdom  :  no,  but  that  of  an  unrighteous 
s.nd  scandalous  dishonesty,  that  of  the  unjust  steward. 
The  wisdom  of  our  Loud  herein  is  much  to  be  observ- 
exl.     His  design  is  not  only  to  represent  the  prudence? 
but  the  industry,  the  ingenuity,  the  resolution,  the  he- 
roic efforts  of  the  soul,  necessary  in  those  who  would 
seek  and  serve  the  kingdom  of  God.     We  seldom,  if 
ever,  perceive  among  men  that  vivacity  of  spirit  in 
lawful  actions,  which  we  observe  in  unlawful  ones. 
The   ways  of  honesty  are  plain,  and  require  not  so 
much  pains  in  pursuing  them;  but  your  thieves  and 
cheats  follow  courses  that  are  full  of  difficulties ;  the 
turns  and  tricks  which  they  require  are  innumerable  : 
hence  you  find  among  such  people  the  exercise  of  ex- 
traordinary subtility  :  you  find  no  such  cunning  and 
application  any  where  else.     How  emphatical  then  is 
it,  to  borrow  from  these,  the  colours  of  heavenly  wis- 
dom I  What  I  aim  at  is  this,  let  ua  try  to  do  good  with 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  37 


as  much  application  of  mind,  as  wicked  men  employ  in 
doin^  evil.  *'Wlien  wickedness  proceeds  from  the 
wicked,"  it  is  done  "with  both  hands,  and  greedily ." 
V/hy  then  may  not  "\ve  proceed  in  our  useful  engage- 
ments 'Svith  both  hands,"  and  "greedily"  watching 
for  opportunities  ?  We  have  no  occasion  for  any  sinis- 
ter arts  in  etTecting  our  designs;  God  forbid  that  we 
should  ever  attempt  the  union  of  such  inconsistencies. 
But  why  cannot  we  prosecute  our  designs  with  as 
much  deep  and  copious  thought,  as  the  men  of  evil 
arts?  And  why  may  we  not  engage  our  minds  with  as 
transporting  a  vigor  to  do  what  is  acceptable  to  God 
and  profitable  to  men,  as  those  wretches  manifest,  when 
they  "weary  themselves  to  commit  iniquity  ?"  To  re- 
prove certain  ecclesiastical  drones,  who  had  little  in- 
clination to  do  good.  Father  Latimer  used  a  coarse  ex- 
pression to  this  effect :  "If  you  v,41l  not  ?earn  of  good 
men,  for  shame,  learn  of  the  devil;  he  is  never  idle." 
Indeed,  the  indefatigable  prosecution  of  their  designs, 
•who  are  styled  "the  children  of  the  tlevil,"  may  put  us 
to  the  blush.  Our  obligations  to  do  good  are  infinite- 
they  do  evil  against  ail  obligations.  Tlie  compensa- 
tion which  will  bs  made  to  them  who  do  good  is  en- 
couraging beyond  calculation  :  they  who  do  evil  will 
get  nothing  to  boast  of ;  but  "evil  pursueth  the  sin- 
ners.'' If  the  devil  '-go  about,'  and  the  people  in- 
sj)ired  by  him  "go  about,"  seeking  what  harm  they  may 
do ;  why  may  not  we  go  about,  and  think,  and  seek 
where  and  how  we  may  do  good  ?  Verily,  it  were  wor- 
thy of  a  good  angel  so  to  do !  O  thou  child  of  God, 
and  lover  of  all  righteousness,  how  canst  thou  find  ia 
thy  heart,  at  aivy  time,  to  cease  from  doing  all  the 
good  that  can  be  done,  in  "the  right  ways  of  the  Lord?" 
Blethinks,  tliat  word  of  the  Loud  may  be  a  burdea  to 
D. 


58  ASSAYS  TO  DO  G001>. 


US,  and  if  we  have  a  sense  of  honor  in  us,  will  be  so, 
*'ihe  children  of  this  world  are  in,  (and  for)  their  gen- 
eration, wiser  than  the  children  of  light ;"  yea,  they 
pursue  "the  works  of  darkness"  more  vigorously  than 
any  of  us  *'walk  in  that  light'*  with  which  our  great 
Savior  hath  favored  us. 


TJie  true  nature  of  good  works. 


To  the  title  of  good  works  belong  those  Essays  to 
do  Good,  which  we  are  now  urging.  To  produce 
them,  the  Jirst  thing,  and  indeed  the  one  thing  need, 
ful,  is — a  glorious  work  of  grace  on  the  soul,  renewing 
jind  quickening  it,  purifying  the  sinner,  and  rendering 
Jiim  '*zealous  of  good  works ;"  "a  workmanship  of  God" 
upon  us,  "creating  us  anew,  by  Jesus  Christ,  for 
good  works:"  and  then,  there  is  needful,  what  will  ne- 
cessarily follow  such  a  work — a  disposition  to  perform 
good  works,  on  true,  genuine,  generous,  and  evangel- 
ical principles.  These  principles  must  be  stated  be* 
fore  we  proceed. 

In  the  first  place,  it  must  be  taken  for  granted,  that 
the  end  for  which  we  perform  good  works  is  not  to  pro- 
vide the  matter  of  our  justification  before  God  :  indeed, 
no  good  w^orks  can  be  done  till  we  are  justified  ;  before 
a  man  is  united  to  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  he  is  a 
dead  man,  and  what  good  works  can  be  expected  from 
feim  ?  "Severed  from  me/'  saith  our  I^ord,  *'ye  can  do 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  OOOB,  Si? 


nothing.'*  The  justification  of  a  sinner  by  faith,  be- 
fore good  7vorhs,  and  in  order  to  them,  is  one  of  tliosc 
doctrines  whicli  may  say  to  the  Popish  innovations, 
"with  us  are  the  grey-headed,  and  very  aged  men 
much  ehler  than  thy  father."  It  was  an  old  maxim  of 
the  fiiitliful,  ''good  works  follow  justification;  they  do 
not  precede  it.*  It  is  the  righteousness  of  the  good 
works  done  by  our  Savior  and  surety,  not  our  own^ 
that  justifies  us  before  God,  and  answers  the  demands 
of  his  hoiy  law  upon  us.  By  faith  we  lay  hold  on 
those  good  works  for  our  justifying  righteousness,  be- 
fore we  are  able  to  perform  our  own.  It  is  not  our 
faith  itself,  either  as  producing  good  works,  or  being 
itself  one  of  them,  which  entitles  us  to  the  justifying; 
righteousness  of  our  Savk/i';  but  it  is  faith,  only  as  re. 
iiouncins?  our  own  righteousness,  and  relying  on  thai 
of  Christ,  provided  for  the  c'lief  of  sinners,  by  which 
we  are  justified.  All  our  attempts  at  good  works  wiU 
come  to  nothing,  till  a  justifying  faith  in  the  Savior 
shall  carry  u.s  forth  unto  them.  This  was  the  divinity 
of  the  ancients.  Jerom  has  well  expressed  it;  "with« 
out  Christ  all  virtue  is  but  vice."t 

Nevertheless,  first,  you  are  to  look  upon  it  as  a  glo^ 
rious  truth  of  the  gospel,  that  the  moral  law  (which 
prescribes  good  works)  must,  by  GYevj  Christian  aiivcj 
be  the  rule  of  his  life.  "Do  we  make  void!  the  law 
through  faith  ?  God  forbid  :  yea,  we  establish  the  law." 
The  rule  by  which  we  are  to  glorify  Gou  is  given  us 
in  that  law  of  good  works  which  we  enjoy  (I  will  so 
express  it)  in  the  ten  commandments.  It  is  impossi- 
ble for  us  to  be  released  from  all  obligations  to  glorify 


•  Bona  opera  sequunturjustificatum,  non  pracedunt  jus- 
tllicandum. 

t  Sine  Christo  omnis  virtus  est  in  vitio. 


40  iiSSATS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


God,  by  a  conformity  to  this  rule:  sooner  shall  we 
cease  to  be  creatures.  The  couforniity  to  tliat  rule,  m 
the  righteousness,  which  our  Savior  by  his  obedience 
to  it  has  brought  in  to  justify  us,  has  for  ever  *'magni- 
fied  the  law  and  made  it  honorable."  Though  our 
tSavior  has  furnished  us  with  a  perfect  and  spotless 
righteousness,  wlien  his  obedience  to  the  law  is  placed 
^0  our  account;  yet  it  is  sinful  in  us  to  fall  short  in  our 
personal  obedience  to  the  law.  We  must  always  judge 
and  loathe  ourselves  for  the  sin.  We  are  not  under 
the  law  as  a  covenant  of  rccrks :  our  own  exactness  ia 
performhig  good  works  is  not  now  the  condition  of  en- 
tering into  life;  (wo  be  to  us  if  it  were)  but  still,  the 
covenant  of  grace  holds  us  to  it  as  our  duty  ;  and  if  we 
are  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  we  shall  make  it  our  study 
to  perform  those  good  works  wdiich  were  once  the  con- 
dition of  entering  into  life.  "Every  law  of  religion 
gtill  remains.*"  That  was  the  divinity  of  Tertuliian^s 
days!  Such  must  be  the  esteem  for  the  law  of  good 
%vork8  forever  retained  in  justified  persons  ;  a  law  nev- 
er to  be  abrogated  or  abolished. 

And  then,  secondly,  though  we  are  justified  by  "pre- 
cious faith  in  the  righteousness  of  God  our  Savior,"  jet 
gootl  works  are  required  of  us  to  justify  our  faith ;  to 
demonstrate  that  it  is  indeed  "precious  faith."  A  justi- 
fyirtg  faith  is  a  jewel  which  may  be  counterfeited ;  but 
the  marks  of  a  faith,  whicli  is  not  a  counterfeit,  are  to 
be  found  in  those  good  works  to  which  a  servant  of 
God  is,  by  his  faith,  inclined  and  assisted.  It  is  by 
the  regenerating  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  faith 
is  wrought  in  the  hearts  of  the  chosen  people  :  now  the 
same  grace  which  in  regeneration  dispose?  a  pcr-oii  t® 


^  Ala:iQt  lex  tola  pletatis.' 


ESSA.7S  TO  DO  GOOD.  ^1 


fiy  by  faith  to  the  riJG^hteousness  of  Chrfst,  will  dispose 
Mm  also  to  the  good  works  of  a  Christiau  life;  and  the 
same  faith  which  applies  to  the  Savior  for  an  interest 
in  his  righteousness,  will  also  apply  to  him  for  strength 
to  perform  the  good  works  which  are  "ordained  that 
we  should  walk  in  them."  If  our  faith  be  not  of  this 
kind,  it  is  a  lifeless  faith,  and  such  as  will  not  bring  to 
life.     A  workless  faith  is  a  worthless  faith* 

Reader,  suppose  thyself  standing  before  the  judg- 
ment seat  of  Christ  !  a  necessary,  a  prudent  suppo. 
sitiou  ;  it  ought  to  be  a  very  frequent  one.  The  judge 
demands,  ''what  hast  thou  to  plead  for  a  portion  in  the 
blessedness  of  the  righteous  ?"  The  plea  must  be,  "O 
my  glorious  judge,  thou  hast  been  my  sacrifice.  O 
thou  judge  of  all  the  earth,  permit  dust  and  ashes  to 
say,  my  righteousness  is  on  the  bench.  Surely,  in  the 
Lord  have  I  righteousness.  O  my  Savior,  I  have 
received  it,  I  have  secured  it  on  thy  own  gracious  of- 
fer of  it."  The  Judge  proceeds;  *'but  what  hist  thou 
to  plead  that  thy  faith  should  not  be  rejected  as 
the  faith  of  the  hypocrite  ?"  Here  the  plea  must  be 
"O  Lord,  my  fciith  was  thy  work.  It  was  a  faith 
which  disposed  me  to  all  the  good  works  of  thy  holy 
religion.  It  sanctified  me.  It  brought  me  to  thee,, 
my  Savior,  for  grace  to  j>erform  the  works  of  righte- 
ousness ;  it  embraced  thee  for  my  Lord  as  well  as  Sa- 
vior; it  caused  me,  witli  sincerity,  to  love  and  kcei> 
thy  commandments,  and  with  assiduity  to  serve  the 
interests  of  thy  kingdom  in  the  world." 

Thus  you  have  Paul  and  James  reconciled..  Tha? 
you  have  good  works  provided  for.  The  aphorism  oi 
the  physicians,  is,  "By  a  man's  outward  acts  of  vigor, 
you  judge  of  his  internal  jbealth."*     The  actions  of 

*rer  brachium  fit  judicium  d'e  corde* 
D2. 


4^  EBSATS  TO  DO  G00»« 

men  are  more  certain  indications  of  what  is  withia 
than  all  their  sayings. 

But  there  is  yet  another  consideration  upon  whicb 
you  must  be  zealously  affected  to  good  works.  You 
must  consider  them  as  apart  of  the  great  salvatioiz. 
which  is  purchased  for  you  by  Jesus  Christ.  Without 
a  holy  heart  you  cannot  be  fit  for  a  holy  heaven,  *'meet 
for  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  that  light,"  which> 
admits  no  works  of  darkness,  where  none  but  good: 
works  are  done  for  eternal  ages  :  But  a  holy  heart  w  ill 
induce  a  man  to  do  good  with  all  his  heart.  The 
motto  on  the  gates  of  the  holy  city  is,  "None  but  the 
lovers  of  good  works  to  enter  here ;"  it  is  implied  in, 
what  we  read,  "without  helioess  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord  :'*  yea,  to  be  saved  without  good  works,  were  to 
fce  saved  without  salvation.  Much  of  our  salvation 
consists  in  doing  good  works.  Heaven  is  begun  upon 
earth  when  we  are  so  engaged ;  and  doubtless,  no  man 
iviil  get  to  heaven  who  is  not  so  persuaded. 

I  shall  mention  but  one  more  of  those  princi- 
ples from  which  good  works  proceed  :  it  is  that  noble 
one  of  Gratitude.  The  believer  cannot  but  inquire 
"What  shall  I  render  to  my  Savior  ?" — the  result  of  the 
inquiry  will  be,  "with  good  works  to  glorify  him."  We 
read,  that  "faith  werketh  by  love."  Our  faith  will 
discover  the  matchless  and  marvellous  love  of  God  in 
saving  us  !  and  the  faith  of  this  love  will  work  on  our 
hearts,  till  it  hath  raised  in  us  an  unquenchable  flame 
of  love  to  him  who  hath  so  loved  and  saved  us.  These,, 
these  are  to  be  our  dispositions  :  "O  my  Savior  !  hast 
thou  done  so  much  for  me  !  now  will  I  do  all  I  caii: 
for  (by  kingdom  and  people  in  the  world.  O  !  what 
service  is  there  that  I  may  now  perform  for  my  Sayiw 
and  his  people  in  the  world  ?" 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  43t 


These  are  the  prinGi[)les  to  be  proceeded  on  :  and  it 
is  worthy  of  special  observation,  that  there  are  no  men 
in  the  world  who  so  much  abound  in  good  works,  a& 
those,  who,  abave  all  otlieps,  have  abandoned  every 
pretension  to  the  merit  of  their  works.  There  are 
Protestants  who  have  exceeded  Papists  in  our  days, 
as  well  as  in  those  of  Dr.  Willet.  No  merit-mongers 
have  exceeded  some  holy  christians,  who  have  per- 
formed good  works  on  the  assurance  of  being  already; 
justifted,  and  entitled  to  eternal  life.. 

I  observe,  that  our  apostle,  throwing  a  just  contempts 
on  the  endless  genealogies,  and  long,  intricate  pedi- 
grees, which  the  Jews  of  his  time  dwelt  so  muchupon^. 
proposes  in  their  stead  "charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart, 
and  a  good  conscience,  and  faith  unfeigned  :'*.  as  if  he 
had  said,  "I  will  give  you  a  genealogy  worth  ten  thous-- 
and  of  theirs"— 5rst,  from  faith  unfeigned  proceeds  a 
good  conscience ;  from  a  good  conscience  a  pure  heart  5. 
and  from  a  pure  heart,  charity  tg  all  around  U3.  It  i& 
admirably  stated  t; 


It  may  justly  be  faared  that  we  too  rarely  inquirer' 
after 

Opportunities  to  do  goodi 


Our  opportunities  to  do  good  are  our  talents.  An? 
awful  account  must  be  rendered  to  the  great  God  con- 
cerning the  use  of  the  talents  with  which  he  has  in- 
tf  usted  U3  ia.  these  precious  opportunitiej}.    Frequent- 


44  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


ly  we  do  not  use  our  opportunities,  because  we  do  not 
consider  them  :  they  lie  by  unnoticed  and  unimproved. 
We  read  of  a  thing  which  we  deride  as  often  as  we 
behold  it.  "There  is  that  inaketh  himself  poor,  and 
yet  hath  great  riches."  This  is  too  frequently  exem- 
plified in  our  opportunities  to  do  good,  which  are  some 
©f  our  most  valuable  riches.  Many  a  man  seems  to 
reckon  himself  destitute  of  these  talents,  as  if  there 
were  nothing  for  him  to  do  ;  he  pretends  that  he  is  not 
in  a  condition  to  do  any  good.  Alas  !  poor  man,  what 
can  he  do  ?  My  friend,  think  again  ;  think  frequently : 
inquire  what  your  opportunities  are  :  you  will  certainly 
find  them  to  be  more  than  you  were  aArare  of.  ''Plain 
men  dwelling  in  tents,"  persons  of  a  very  ordinary 
rank  in  life,  may,  by  their  eminent  piety,  prove  per- 
sons of  extraordinary  usefulness.  A  poor  John  Urich 
may  make  a  Grotius  the  better  for  him.  I  have  read 
of  a  pious  weaver,  of  whom  some  eminent  persons 
would  say,  "Christ  walked,  as  it  were,  alive  on  the 
earth  in  that  man."  A  mean  mechanic — Who  can  tell 
what  an  engine  of  good  he  may  become,  if  humbly  and 
wisely  applied  to  it  ? 

This,  then,  is  the  next  Proposal.  Without  abridge 
ingj'ourselves  of  your  occasional  thoughts  on  the  ques- 
tion, "What  good  may  I  do  to  day  i*"  fix  a  time,  now 
and  then,  for  more  deliberate  thoughts  upon  it.  Can- 
not you  find  time  (say,  once  a  week,  and  how  suitabFy 
on  the  Lord's  day)  to  take  this  question  into  consider- 
tion  : 

*    What  is  there  that  I  may  do  for  the  service  of  the  glo^ 
rioiis  Lord,  and  for  the  welfare  of  those  for  whom 
ought  to  be  concerned  ? 

Having  implored  the  direction  of  God,  "the  Fathar 
of  lights,"  consider  the  matter;  ia  the  yarious  aspects  of 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


it.  Consider  it,  till  you  have  resolved  on  aomething. 
Write  down  your  resolutions.  Examine  what  precept 
anl  what  promise  you  can  find  in  the  word  of  God  to 
countenance  your  resolutions.  Review  these  memo- 
vials  at  proper  seasons,  and  see  how  far  you  have  pro- 
ceeded in  the  execution  of  them.  The  advantages  of 
these  preserved  and  revised  memorials,  no  rhetoric  will 
be  sufficient  to  commend,  no  arithmetic  to  calculate* 
There  are  some  animrds  of  which  we  saj',  "they  know 
not  their  own  strength  ;"  christians,  why  aUould  you 
be  like  them  ? 


Let  us  now  descend  to  Particulars  ;  but  let  it 
not  be  supposed  that  I  pretend  to  an  enumeration  of 
all  the  good  devices  that  may  be  conceived.  Not  a 
thousandth  part  of  them  can  now  be  enumerated.  The 
essay  I  am  making  is  only  to  dig  open  the  several 
springs  of  usefulness,  which,  having  once  began  to  flow, 
v»ill  spread  into  streams,  that  no  human  foresight  caa 
comj)rehend.  "Spring  up,  O  well  t"  will  every  true 
Israelite  sing,  upon  every  proposal  here  exhibited  ; 
and  "the  nobles  of  Israel"  can  do  nothing  more  agreea- 
ble to  their  own  character,  than  to  fall  to  work  upon  it* 
Perhaps  everj^  proposal  that  may  be  made  will  be  like 
a  stone  falling  into  a  pool — One  circle  and  service 
will  produce  another,  till  they  extend — v.ho  can  tell 
how  far  ?  Those  who  devote  themselves  to  good  devi|» 
ces,  and  who  duly  observe  their  opportunities  to  do 
good,  usually  find  a  wonderful  increase  of  their  oppor- 
tunities. The  gracious  providence  of  God  affords  this 
recompense  to  bis  diligent  servant-,  that  lie  will  muUi- 


4$  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD* 


ply  their  opportunities  of  being  serviceable  :  and  when- 
ingenious  men  have  used  themselves  to  a  little  con- 
trivance, in  pursuing  the  best  intentions,  their  ingenu- 
ity will  sensibly  improve,  and  there  will  be  more  ex- 
pansion in  their  diffusive  applications.  Among  all  the 
dispensations  of  a  special  providence  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  world,  none  is  less  interrupted  than  the 
accomplishment  of  that  word,  "Unto  him  that  hath 
fihall  be  given.'*^  I  will  say  this,  "O  useful  man  !  take 
for  thy  motto,  Ilabenti  dabitur'— "To  him  that  hath 
shall  be  given  ;"  and,  in  a  lively  use  of  thy  opportu- 
nities to  do  good,  see  how  remarkably  it  will  be  ac- 
complished ;  see  what  accomplishment  of  that  word 
will  at  last  suprise  thee,  "Though  thy  beginning  be 
gaiall,  yet  thy  latter  eiid  shall  greatly  increase." 


®w  Internal  piety  and  seffexaminatioyu 


Why  should  not  the  charity  of  which  we  are  treat- 
ing "begin  at  home  ?"  It  observes  not  a  due  deco- 
rum if  it  doth  not^  and  it  will  be  liable  to  great  ex- 
ceptions in  its  pretensions  and  proceedings.  *'Call 
not  that  man  wise  whose  wisdom  begins  not  at  home."* 
This  then,  is  to  be  made  an  early  Proposal. 
*  First,  let  every  man  devise  what  good  may  be  done 
for  the  correction  of  what  is  yet  amiss,  in  his  own 
HEART  AND  LIFE.     It  is  a  good  remark  of  the  witty 


*  Qdi  sapLentena  qui  sibi  con  sapit. 


ESSAYS  TO  ho  GOOD.  47 


Fuller;  **he  necfl  not  complain  of  too  little  work,  who 
hath  a  little  world  in  himself  to  mend."  It  was  of  old 
complained,  *'no  man  repented  him,  saying,  what  have 
I  done  ?"  Every  man  upon  earth  may  find  in  himself 
something  that  wants  correcting ;  and  the  work  of  re- 
pentance is  to  inquire,  not  only,  "what  we  have  done," 
but  also,  "what  we  have  to  do."  Frequent  self-exam' 
inaiion  h  the  duty  of  all  who  would  know  themselves, 
or  would  not  lose  themselves.  The  great  intention  of 
self-examination  is  to  find  out  the  points  wherein  we 
are  to  "amend  onr  ways."  A  christian  that  would 
thrive  in  Christianity  must  be  no  stranger  to  a  course 
of  meditation.  This  is  one  of  the  masters  which  are 
requisite  to  make  a  ''man  of  God."  One  article  and 
exercise  in  our  meditation  should  be  to  find  out  the 
things  wherein  a  greater  conformity  to  the  truths  upon 
which  we  have  been  meditating,  may  be  attempted. 
If  we  would  be  good  men,  we  w.vxst  often  devise  how 
we  may  grow  in  knowledge  and  in  all  goodness.  Such 
an  inquiry  as  this  should  often  be  made  :  "what  shall  I 
do,  that  what  is  yet  lacking  in  the  image  of  God  upon 
me,  may  be  perfected.^  what  shall  I  do,  that  I  may 
live  more  perfectly,  more  watchfully,  more  fruitfully 
before  my  glorious  Lord  ? 

And  why  should  not  our  meditation,  when  we  retire 
to  that  profitable  engagement,  conclude  with  some  re- 
solution? Devise  now,  and  resolve  something  to 
strengthen  your  walk  with  God. 

With  some  devout  hearers  of  the  word,  it  is  a  prac° 
lice,  when  they  have  heard  a  sermon,  to  think,  "what 
good  thing  have  I  now  to  ask  of  God  with  a  peculiar 
importunity  ?"  They  are  also  accustomed  to  call  upon 
their  children,  and  make  them  answer  this  question: 
*'€hild,  what  blessing  will  you  laow  ask  of  the  glorioug 


4*3  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

God?"  After  \vhich,  tliej  charge  them  te  go  and  do 
accordingly. 

In  pursuance  of  this  piety,  why  may  not  this  b€  one 
6f  the  exercises  which  shall  conspire  to  form  a  good 
evening  for  the  best  of  days  ?  Let  it  be  a  part  of  our 
work  on  the  IjORD's-day  evening,  seriously  to  ask  our- 
selves the  following  question:  "if  I  should  die  this 
week,  what  have  I  It^ft  undone,  which  I  should  then 
wish  I  bad  been  more  diligent  in  performing  ?"  My 
friend,  place  thyself  in  dying  circumstances;  apprehend 
and  realize  thy  approaching  dissolution.  Suppose  thy 
last,  solemn  hour  arrived  :  thy  breath  failing,  thy 
throat  rattling,  thy  hands  with  a  coM  sweat  upon 
them — only  the  turn  of  the  tide  expected  for  thy  expi- 
ration. In  this  condition,  "what  wouldst  thou  wish  to 
have  done  more  than  thou  hast  already  done,  for  thy 
^own  soul,  for  thy  family,  or  for  the  peo[)le  of  Ood?" 
Think  upon  this  question,  and  do  not  forget  the  result 
of  thy  thought:^ ;  do  Dot  delay  to  perform  what  ihon 
hast  resolved  upon.  How  much  more  agreeable  and 
profitable  would  such  an  exercise  be  on  the  Lord's 
day  evening  than  those  vanities  to  which  that  evening 
IS  too  commonly  prostituted,  and  by  which  all  the  good 
lof  the  past  day  is  defeated  !  And  if  such  an  exercise 
were  often  performed,  O  !  how  much  would  it  regulate 
our  lives ;  how  w  atchfully,  how  fruitfully  would  it  cause 
ITS  to  live ;  what  an  incredible  number  of  good  works 
would  it  produce  in  the  world  ! 

Will  you  remember,  sirs,  that  every  christian  is  a 
•'temple  of  God  !"  It  would  be  of  great  service  to  Chris- 
tianity, if  this  notion  of  its  true  nature  were  more  fre- 
quentl}'^  and  clearly  cultivated.  But  certainly  there 
yet  remains  very  much  for  every  one  of  us  to  do,  that 
the  temple  may  be  carried  on  to  perfection ;    that  it 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  «00D.  4© 


rtiay  be  tepaired,  finished,  purified,  and  the  topstonc 
of  it  laid,  with  the  shoutings  of  "grace, grace !"  unto  it. 

As  a  branch  of  this  piety,  I  will  recommend  a  seri- 
ous and  fruitful  improvement  of  th€  various  dispensa- 
tions of  Divine  Providence  which  we  have  occasion  to 
notice.  More  particularly  :  Have  you  received  any 
special  blessings  and  mercies  from  the  hand  of  God  ? 
You  do  not  suitably  express  your  thankfulness ;  yoa 
do  not  render  again  according  to  the  benefit  that  is 
done  unto  you,  unless  you  set  yourself  to  consider, 
**What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  ?"  Yen  should  con- 
trive some  signal  thing  to  be  done  on  this  occasion  i 
some  service  to  the  kingdom  of  God-,  either  within 
yourself,  or  among  others,  which  may  be  a  just  con- 
fession and  memorial  of  what  a  gracious  God  has  done 
for  you.  This  is  an  action,  to  which  the  *'goodness  of 
God  leadeth  you."  And  I  would  ask.  How  can  a  good 
voyage,  or  a  good  bargain  be  made  without  some  spe- 
cial returns  of  gratitude  to  God  ?  I  would  have  a  por- 
tion of  your  property  mad^  a  thank-offering,  by  being  set 
apart  for  pious  uses. 

Whole  days  of  thattksgiving  are  (o  be  kept,  wliett 
the  favors  of  God  rise  to  a  more  observable  height. 
Christians  of  the  finer  mould  keep  their  private  ones, 
as  well  as  bear  part  in  the  public  services.  One  ex- 
ercise for  auch  a  day  is,  to  take  a  list  of  the  more  re- 
markable succors  and  bounties  with  which  our  Go» 
has  comforted  us  ;  and  then,  to  contrive  some  suitable 
acknowledgments  of  him,  in  endeavours  to  serve  him ; 
and  this  by  way  of  gratitude  for  these  undeserved 
comforts. 

On  the  otlier  hand ;  you  meet  with  heavy  and  grlev„ 
ous  afflictions.  Truly,  it  is  a  pity  to  be  at  the  trou- 
ble of  suffering  afBictions,  and  cot  get  good  by  thsm 


so  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 

We  get  good  by  them,  when  they  awaken  m  "to  do 
good;"  and  1  may  say,  never  lill  then  !  When  God  is 
distributing  sorrows  to  you,  the  sorrows  stiil  come  up- 
on soine  errands ;  therefore,  the  best  way  for  you  to 
find  that  they  do  not  come  in  his  anger,  is  to  consider 
what  the  errands  may  be.  The  advice  is,  that  when 
any  affliction  comes  upon  you,  you  immediately  re- 
flect, '"to  what  special  act  of  repentance  does  this  af- 
tliction  call  me?  What  miscarriage  does  tiiis  affliction 
find  in  rne,  to  be  repented  of?"  And  then,  while  the 
sense  of  the  affliction  is  yet  upon  j^ou,  seriously  in- 
quire, "to  what  improvement  in  holiness  and  useful- 
xiess  does  this  aftliction  call  me  ?"  Be  more  solicitous 
to  gain  this  point  than  to  escape  from  your  affliction. 
A)  I  the  peace  that  will  compose,  possess,  and  ravish 
your  minds,  when  your  afflictions  shall  be  found  yield- 
ing; these  ''fruits  of  righteousness  !'' 

Luther  did  well  to  call  afflictions,  "theologiam 
chr'istianorum''— ''the  theology  of  christians."  This 
may  be  a  proper  place  to  introduce  one  direction  more. 
We  are  travelling  through  a  malicious,  a  calumnious, 
and  abusive  world.  Why  sliould  not  malice  be  a  "good 
Informer  ?"  We  may  be  unjustly  defamed  ;  it  wi!l  be 
strange  if  we  are  ubt  frequently  so.  A  defamation  is 
commonly  resented  as  a  provocation.  My  friend, 
make  it  only  a  provocation  to  do  good  works !  The 
thing  to  be  now  directed  is  this  :  Upon  any  reproach 
Ibeing  ofTered,  instead  of  being  transported  into  a  rage 
at  Shimeif  retire  and  patiently  inquire,  "Has  not  God 
hidden  such  a  reproach  to  awaken  me  to  some  duty  ? 
To  what  special  service  of  piety  should  I  be  awaken- 
ed, by  the  reproach  vdiich  is  cast  upon  me  ?"  One 
thus  expresses  it:  "The  backbiter's  tongue,  likeamill- 
«iiack,  will  be  still  ia  motion,  that  he  may  grind  thy 


ESSAYS  TO  no  GOon.  51 


good  name  to  powder.  Learn,  therefore,  to  make 
such  use  of  his  chick  as  to  muke  thy  bread  by  it ;  I 
mean,  so  to  live,  that  no  credit  shall  be  given  to  slan- 
der." Thus  all  the  abuses  you  meet  with  may  prove 
to  you,  in  the  hand  of  a  faithful  God,  no  other  than 
the  strokes  which  a  statuary  employs  on  his  ill-shaped 
marble ;  only  to  form  you  into  a  more  beautiful  shape, 
and  make  you  niter  to  adorn  the  heavenly  temple.— 
Thus  you  are  informed  of  a  way  to  "shake  o^'a  viper'' 
most  advantageously  !  Yea,  I  am  going  to  inform  you, 
how  yuu  may  fetch  sweetness  out  of  a  viper.  Jiisthi 
"would  have  our  very  sins  numbered  amongst  the  "all 
things"  that  are  to  "work  together  for  good."  There- 
fore, first,  I  propose,  that  our  former  barrenness  may 
now  be  looked  upon  as  an  obligation  and  incitement  to 
greater  fiuitrulnes3.  But  this  motion  is  too  general ; 
I  must  be  more  particular.  I  would  look  back  on  my 
past  life,  and  call  to  mind  what  singular  acts  of  siu 
have  blemished  it,  and  been  the  reproach  of  my 
youth.  Now,  by  way  of  thankfulness  for  that  grace 
of  God,  and  that  blood  of  his  Christ,  through  which 
my  crimes  have  been  pardoned,  I  would  set  myself  to 
think,  "  What  virtues,  what  actions,  and  whatachiev- 
ments  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  will  be  the  most  contra- 
ry to  my  former  blemishes  ?  And  what  efforts  of  good- 
ness will  be  the  noblest  and  most  palpable  contradic- 
tion to  the  miscarriages  with  which  I  have  been  charge- 
able ?"  Yet  more  particularly,  *-What  signal  thing 
shall  I  do,  to  save  others  from  dishonoring  the  great 
God  by  such  miscarriages  as  those  into  which  I  my- 
self once  fell  .^"  I  will  study  such  things ;  and  perhaps 
the  sincerity  and  consolation  of  repentance  cannot  be 
better  studied  than  by  such  a  conduct. 
Give  me  leave  to  press  this  one  more  poiat  of  pru-^ 


S3  BSSAY9  TO  BO  OOOD. 


dcnce  Hpon  yoir.  There  are  not  a  i'ew  person*  wh© 
have  many  hours  of  leisure  in  the  way  of  their  person- 
al callings.  When  the  weather  takes  them  off  from> 
their  business,  or  when  their  shops  are  not  full  of  cus- 
tomers, they  have  little  or  nothing  to  do.  Now,  Sirs, 
the  proposal  is,  "be  not  fools,"  but  redeem  this  time 
to  your  own  advantage,  to  the  best  advantage.  To 
the  man  of  leisure  as  well  as  to  the  minister,  it  is  an 
advice  of  wisdom,  "Give  thyself  unto  reading."  Good 
books  of  all  sorts  may  employ  your  leisure,  and  enrich 
you  with  treasures  more  valuable  than  those  which 
yoa  might  have  procured  in  your  usual  avocations. 
Let  the  baneful  thoughts  of  idleness  be  chased  out  of 
our  minds.  But  then  also,  let  some  thoughts  on  that 
subject,  "What  good  may  I  do?"  succeed  them. 
When  you  have  leisure  to  think  on  that  subject,  yoa 
«an  have  no  excuse  for  neglecting  so  to  do« 


On  doing  good  to  our  relationSy  children^  &(a 

The  useful  man  may  now  with  much  propriety  ex- 
tend and  enlarge  the  sphere  of  his  exertiofj.  My  next 
proposal  therefore  shall  be  :  let  every  man  consider  the 
TdaiioYiy  in  which  God,  the  sovereign  Ruler,  has 
placed  him;  and  let  him  devise  what  good  he  may  do^ 
that  may  render  his  relatives  the  better  for  him.  One 
great  way  to  prove  ourselves  really- good,  i&  to  be  rela- 
tively good.  It  is  by  this,  more  than  by  any  thing  else, 
that  we  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour."  It 
•\VQ«ld  b«  a  piece  of  excellent  wisdom  ia  a  man,  to 


ESSA.TS  TO  DO  HOOD.  53 


make  the  interest  wliich  he  has  in  the  good  opinion 
and  affection  of  any  individuals,  an  advantage  for  do- 
ing good  to  them.  He  that  has  a  friend  will  shew 
himself  friendly  indeed,  if  he  think  "  Such  a  one  loves 
me,  and  will  hearken  lo  me ;  to  what  good  shall  I  take 
advantage  from  hence  to  persuade  him  ?" 

This  will  take  place  more  particularly  where  the 
emlearing  ties  of  natural  affection  give  us  an  interest- 
Let  us  call  over  our  several  relations,  and  let  us  devise 
something  that  may  be  called  heroical  goodness,  in 
our  discharging  them.  Why  should  we  not,  at  least 
once  or  twice  a  week,  make  this  relative  goodness  the 
subject  of  our  enquiries  and  of  our  purposes?  Especiat 
ly,  let  us  begin  with  domestic  relations,  and  '^provide 
for  those  of  our  own  house,"  lest  we  deny  some  glori- 
ous rules  and  hopes  of  the  christian  faith,  by  our  neg- 
ligence. 

First.  In  the  conjugal  rela.tion,  how  agreeably 
may  they,  who  are  thus  united,  think  on  these  words ; 
"what  knowest  thou,  O  wnfe,  whether  thou  shalt  save 
thy  husband  ?  or,  how  knowest  thou,  0  man,  w  hether 
thou  shalt  save  thy  wife  ?" 

The  HUSBAND  will  do  well  to  think;  "what  shall  I 
do  that  my  wife  may  have  cause  for  ever  to  bless  God 
for  having  brought  her  to  me  ?"  And,  "what  shall  I  do, 
that  in  my  deportment  towaixls  my  wife,  the  kindness 
of  the  blessed  Jesus  towards  his  church,  may  be  exem- 
plified ?"  That  this  question  may  be  the  more  perfect- 
ly answered,  sir,  ask  her  to  assist  you  in  the  answer; 
ask  her  to  tell  you  what  she  would  have  you  to  do. 

But  then  the  wife  also  will  do  well  to  enquire . 
''wherein  may  I  be  to  my  husband  a  wife  of  that  char- 
acter— "she  will  do  him  good  and  not  evil  all  the  days 
of  her  life?" 

E2. 


S4  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

With  my  married  friends  I  will  leave  an  excellent 
remark,  which  I  find  ia  the  memorials  of  Gervasc  Bis- 
ney,  Esq. — "Family  passions  cloud  faith,  disturb  duty^ 
darken  comfort."  You  will  do  the  more  good  to  one 
another,  the  more  this  sentence  is  considered.  When 
the  husband  and  the  wife  are  always  contriving  to  be 
blessings  to  each  other,  I  will  say  \\'ith  TertuUiarif 
"where  shall  I  find  words  to  describe  the  happiness  of 
that  state  !"*     O  happy  marriage  ! 

Parents  !  How  much  ought  you  to  be  devising  for 
the  good  of  your  children.  Often  consider,  how  to 
make  them  "wise  children ;"  how  to  carry  on  a  desira« 
ble  education  for  them,  an  education  that  may  render 
ihem  desirable ;  how  to  render  them  lovely  and  polite^ 
and  serviceable  to  their  generation.  Often  consider 
how  to  enrich  their  minds  with  valuable  knowledge; 
iow  to  enstil  into  their  minds  generous,  gracious,  and 
heavenly  principles;  how  to  restiain  and  rescue  them 
from  the  "paths  of  the  destroyer,"  and  fortify  them  a- 
gainst  their  peculiar  temptations.  There  is  a  world  of 
good  that  you  have  to  do  for  them.  You  are  without 
the  natural  feelings  of  humanity  if  you  are  not  in  a 
continual  agony  to  do  for  them  ail  the  good  that  lies: 
in  your  power.  It  was  no  mistake  of  Packatas  Dre- 
panius,  in  his  panegyric  to  Tkeodosius ;  "nature  teach- 
es us  to  love  our  children  as  ourselves/'f 

I  will  prosecute  the  subject,  by  transcribing  a  copy 
of  parental  resoliUionSj  which  1  have  somewhere  met 
with.l 

*  Unde  sufficiam  ad  enarrandam  fjeUcltatem  ejus  matri- 
monii ! 

f  Instituente  natura  plus  fere  filios  quam  nosmetipsos  dll-. 
igimus. 

#  Probably  composed  by  the  author  himself,  though  ej* 
pressed  in  ikis  naodest  manner, 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  59 


I.  At  the  Lirth  of  my  chiMi-en,  I  wo^iM  use  all  due 
solemnity  in  Ihe  baptismal  dedication  and  consecration 
of  them  to  the  Lord.  I  would  present  them  to  the 
baptism  of  the  liORD,  not  as  a  mere  formality;  but, 
wondering  at  the  grace  of  the  infinite  God,  who  will 
accept  my  children  as  his,  I  would  resolve  to  do  all 
that  I  can  that  they  may  be  his.  I  would  now  actual- 
ly give  them  up  to  God,  entreating  that  the  child  may 
be  a  child  of  God  the  Father,  a  subject  of  God  the 
Son,  and  a  temple  of  God  the  Spirit;  that  it  may  be 
rescued  from  the  condition  of  a  child  of  wrath,  and  be 
possessed  and  employed  by  the  Lord,  as  an  everlast- 
ing instrument  of  his  glory. 

II.  As  soon  as  my  children  become  capable  of  at- 
tending to  my  instructions,  I  would  frequently  admon- 
ish them  to  be  sensible  of  their  baptismal  engagement:^ 
to  the  Lord ;  often  remind  them  of  their  baptism,  and; 
of  the  duties  to  whfch  it  binds  them. 

1  would  often  say  to  each  of  them,  child,  you  have 
been  baptised ;  you  were  washed  in  the  name  of  the 
great  God ;  now  you  must  not  sin  against  him;  to  sia 
is  to  do  a  very  filthy  thing.  You  must  every  day  cry 
to  God  that  he  would  be  your  Father,  your  Savior, 
your  leader;  in  your  baptism  he  promised  that  he 
would  be  so,  if  you  prayed  to  him.  Child,  you  must 
renounce  the  service  of  satan ;  you  must  not  follow  the 
vanities  of  this  world ;  you  must  lead  a  life  of  serious^ 
religion ;  in  your  baptism  you  were  bound  to  the  ser- 
vice of  your  only  Savior.  What  is  your  name  ?  You: 
must  sooner  forget  this  name  that  was  given  you  in 
your  baptism,  than  forget  that  you  are  a  servant  ot 
Jesus  Christ,  whose  name  was  then  put  upon  you. 

HI.  Let  me  daily  pray  for  my  children  with  the 
greatest  constancy  aad  fervency  j  yea,  let  me  daily 


56  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

mention  each  of  them  by  name  befere  the  Lord.  I 
would  importunately  beg  for  all  suitable  blessings  to 
be  bestowed  upon  them ;  that  God  would  give  them 
grace,  and  give  them  glory,  and  withhold  no  good 
thing  from  them  ;  that  God  would  smile  on  their  educa- 
tion, and  give  his  good  angels  charge  over  them,  and 
keep  them  from  evil,  that  it  may  not  grieve  them ;  that 
when  their  father  and  mother  shsll  forsake  them,  the 
Lord  may  take  them  up.  Most  earnestly  would  I 
plead  that  promise  in  their  behalf;  "the  heavenly  Fa- 
ther will  give  his  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him." 
O  happy  children,  if  by  asking,  I  may  obtain  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  them  ! 

IV.  I  would  early  entertain  the  children  with  de- 
lightful stories  out  of  the  Bible.  In  familiar  conver- 
sation I  would  go  through  the  Bible,  when  the  *^olive- 
jdants  about  my  table''  are  capable  of  being  so  water- 
ed. But  I  would  always  conchide  the  history  by  some 
lessons  of  piety,  to  be  inferred  from  them. 

V.  I  would  single  out  some  scriptural  sentences  of 
the  greatest  importance ;  and  some  also  that  contain 
special  antidotes  to  the  common  errors  and  vices  of 
children.  They  shall  quickly  get  these  golden  say- 
ings by  heart,  and  be  rewarded  with  silver  or  gold,  or 
some  good  thing,  when  they  do  so.  Such  sentences  a» 
the  following. 

Psalm  cxi.  10. 
The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom* 

Matthew  xvi.  26. 
What  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world, 
and  lose  his  own  soul  ? 

1  Timothy  i.  15. 
Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners 
®f  whom  I  am  chief. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  5t 


Matthew  vi.  6. 

Enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  thy 
ioor,  pray  to  thy  Father,  which  is  in  secrete 
Eccles.  xii.  14. 

Qoil  shall  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with 
tvery  secret  thing. 

Ephesians  v.  25. 

Put  away  lying,  speak  every  one  the  truth. 
Psalm  cxxxviii.  6. 

The  Lord  hath  respect  unto  the  lowly,  but  the- 
proud  he  knoweth  afar  off. 

Romans  xii.  17.  19. 

Recompense  to  no  one  evil  for  evil.  Dearly  bc« 
loved  avenge  not  yourselves. 

Nehemiah  xiii.  1 S. 

They  bring  wrath  upon  Israel,  by  profaning  th©^ 
Sabbath. 

A  Jewish  treatise,  quoted  hy  Wagenseil,  tells  us,, 
that  among  the  Jews,  when  a  child  began  to  speak,, 
the  father  was  bound  to  teach  him  that  verse,  Deut. 
xxxiii.  4.  "  Moses  commanded  us  a  law,  even  the 
inheritance  of  the  congregation  of  Jacob."  O,  let  m« 
betimes  make  my  children  acquainted  with  the  law 
which  our  blessed  Jesus  has  commanded  us  I  It  is  the 
best  inheritance  I  can  give  them. 

VI.  I  would  cause  my  children  to  learn  the  cate- 
chism. In  catechising  them,  I  would  break  the  an* 
gwer  into  many  smaller  and  appropriate  questions* 
and  by  their  answer  to  them  observe  and  quicken 
their  understandings.*  I  would  connect  with  every 
truth,  some  duty  and  practice;  and  expect  them  to 


*  The  Assembly's  Catechism,  broken  into  short  questions 
in  th's  manner,  was  lately  rc-published  by  the  Editor,  iiai 
entitled  "The  Assembly's  Catechism  Dissected," 


53  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


confess  it,  consent  to  it,  and  resolve  upon  it.  As  we 
go  on  in  our  catechising,  they  shall,  Tvlien  they  are 
able,  turn  to  the  proofs,  read  them,  and  inform  me 
what  they  prove,  and  in  what  manner.  Then  I  will 
watch  an  opportunity  to  put  more  nice  and  difficult 
questions  to  them  and  improve  the  times  of  conversa- 
tion with  my  family,  for  conferences  on  religious  sub- 
jects. 

VII.  I  would  be  anxious,  till  I  may  be  able  to  say 
of  my  children,  behold,  they  pray  !  I  would  therefore 
teach  them  to  pray.  But  after  they  have  learned  a 
form  of  prayer,  I  will  press  them  to  proceed  to  points 
■which  are  not  in  their  form.  I  will  shew  them  the 
state  of  their  own  souls ;  and  on  every  discovery  wilJ 
inquire  of  them,  what  they  think  ought  now  to  be  their 
prayer.  I  will  direct  them  every  morning  to  take  one 
or  two  texts  out  of  the  sacred  scriptures,  and  thence  to 
form  a  desire,  which  they  shall  add  to  their  usual  prayer. 
When  they  have  heard  a  sermon,  I  will  repeat  to  them 
the  main  subject  of  it,  and  ask  them  thererpon,  what 
they  have  now  to  pray  for.  I  will  charge  them,  with 
all  possible  cogency,  to  pray  in  secret,  and  often  say 
to  each  of  them,  child,  I  hope  you  do  not  forget  my 
charge  to  you  about  secret  prayer ;  your  crime  is  very- 
great,  if  you  do. 

VIII.  I  would  betimes  do  v,iiat  I  can  to  produce  a 
temper  of  benignity  in  my  children,  both  towards  one 
another  and  towards  all  other  persons.  I  will  instruct 
them  how  ready  they  should  be  to  commuaicate  to 
others  a  part  of  what  they  have ;  and  they  shall  not 
want  for  encouragement  when  they  discover  a  loving, 
courteous,  and  benevolent  disposition.  I  will  giv© 
them  now  and  then  a  piece  of  money,  that  with  their 
©wn  little  hands,  they  may  dispense  something  to  the 


B8SATS  TO  DO  COOD.  59 

poor.  Yea,  if  any  one  has  hurt  or  vexed  thorn,  I  will 
not  only  forbid  all  revenge,  but  will  also  oblige  them 
(o  do  a  liindnesi?,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  the  vexatious 
person.  All  coarseness  of  language  or  behavior  in 
them,  I  will  discountenance. 

IX.  I  would  be  solicitous  to  have  my  children  ex* 
pert,  not  only  at  reading  v/ith  propriety,  but  also  al 
writing  a  fair  hand.  I  will  then  assign  them  such 
books  to  read,  as  I  may  judge  most  agreeable  and  prof" 
itable:  obliging  them  to  give  me  some  account  of 
what  they  read ;  bat  will  keep  a  strict  eye  on  wliat 
they  read,  lest  they  should  stumble  on  the  devil's  li- 
brary, and  poison  themselves  with  foolish  romances, 
novels,  plays,  songs,  or  jests,  "  that  are  not  conven- 
ient." I  will  direct  them  also,  to  write  out  such 
things  as  may  be  of  the  greatest  benefit  to  them  ;  and 
they  shall  have  their  blank  books  neatly  kept,  ou  pur- 
pose to  enter  such  passages  as  I  recommend  to  them. 
I  will  particularly  reqisire  them  now  and  then  to  com- 
pose a  Prayer,  and  biing  it  to  me,  that  so  I  may  dis- 
cern what  sense  they  have  of  their  own  everlasting  in- 
terests. 

X.  I  wish  that  my  children  may,  at  a  very  early 
period,  feel  the  principles  of  raason  and  honor  work- 
ing in  them;  and  that  I  may  proceed  in  their  educa- 
tion, chiefly  on  those  principles.  Therefore  I  wiff 
wholly  avoid  that  fierce,  harsh,  crabbed  usage  of  the 
children,  that  would  make  them  dislike  and  tremble  to 
come  into  my  presence.  I  v/ould  treat  them  so,  that 
they  shall  fear  to  ofiend  me^  and  yet  heartily  love  to 
see  me,  and  be  glad  of  my  returmng  home  when  I 
have  been  abroad  ]  would  have  it  considered  as  a 
severe  and  awful  punishment  for  a  crime  in  the  family, 
to  be  forbidden  for  a  while  to  come  into  my  presence. 


X^SAYS  TO  DO  COOS. 


I  would  excite  in  them  a  high  opinion  of  their  fathef'^ 
love  to  them,  and  of  his  being  better  able  to  judge 
what  is  good  for  them,  than  they  are  for  themselves. 
I  would  bring  them  to  believe  that  it  is  best  for  them 
to  be  and  to  do  as  I  would  have  them.  Hence  I  would 
continually  insist  upon  it,  what  a  charming  thing  it  is, 
to  know  the  things  that  are  excellent,  and  how  much 
better  still  to  do  the  things  that  are  virtuous.  I  wish 
them  to  propose  it  to  themselves  as  a  reward  of  good 
behavior ;  *'  I  will  now  go  to  my  father,  and  he  will 
teach  me  something  that  I  never  knew  before.  I 
would  have  them  afraid  of  doing  any  base  thing,"  from 
a  horror  of  the  baseness  there  is  in  it.  My  first  ani- 
madversion on  a  smaller  fault  shall  be,  an  exclamation 
of  surprise  and  wonder,  vehemently  expressed  before 
them,  that  ever  they  should  be  guilty  of  doing  so  fool» 
ishly,  with  an  earnest  expectation  that  they  will  nev- 
er do  the  like  agaia.  I  will  also  endeavor  to  excite 
In  them  a  weeping  resolution  to  this  effect.  I  will 
never  use  corporeal  punishment,  except  it  be  for  an 
atrocious  crime,  or  for  a  smaller  fault  obstinately  per- 
sisted in.  I  would  ever  proportion  chastisements  to 
faults;  not  punish  severely  for  a  very  small  instance 
of  childishness;  and  only  frown  a  little  for  some  rea[ 
wickedness.  Nor  shall  my  chastisements  ever  be  dis- 
pensed in  passion  and  fury  ;  but  I  will  first  shew  them 
the  command  of  God,  by  transgressing  vv^hich,  they 
have  displeased  me.  The  slavish,  boisterous  manner 
of  education  too  commonly  used,  I  consider  as  no 
small  article  in  the  wrath  and  curse  of  God  upon  a 
tnisrrable  world. 

XI.  As  soon  as  we  can,  we  will  advancfe  to  still 
bigher  principles.  I  will  often  tell  the  children  what 
cause  they  have  to  love  a  glorious   Ghaist  who  haa 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  dl 


died  for  them  ;  bow  much  he  will  be  pleased  with  their 
tveli  tloing  ;  and  what  a  noble  thing  it  is  to  follow  his 
example,  which  example  I  will  describe  to  them.  I 
will  often  tell  them  that  the  eye  of  God  is  upon  them; 
that  he  knows  all  they  do,  and  hears  all  they  speak. — 
I  will  frequently  remind  them  that  there  will  be  a 
time,  when  they  must  appear  before  the  holy  Lord . 
and  that  they  must  now  do  nothing  which  may  then 
be  a  soui-ce  of  grief  and  shame  to  them.  I  will  set  be* 
fore  them  the  delights  of  that  heaven  which  is  pre- 
pared for  pious  children ;  and  the  torments  of  tiiat 
hell  which  is  prepared  for  wicked  ones.  I  will  inform 
them  of  the  kind  offices  which  the  good  angels  perform 
fer  children  who  fear  God,  and  are  afraid  of  sin ;  how 
the  devils  tempt  them  to  do  bad  things ;  how  they 
hearken  to  the  devils  and  are  like  them  when  they  do 
such  things;  what  mischiefs  these  evil  spirits  may 
obtain  permission  to  do  in  the  world,  and  how  awful  it 
would  be  to  dwell  among  the  devils,  in  the  "  place  of 
dragons."  I  will  cry  to  God,  that  he  may  make  theni 
feel  the  pov/er  of  these  principles. 

XII.  When  the  children  are  of  a  proper  age  for 
it,  I  will  sometimes  have  them  with  me  alone,  and  con- 
Terse  with  them  about  the  state  of  their  souls ;  their 
experiences,  their  proficiency,  their  temptations  ;  ob. 
tain  their  declared  consent  to  every  article  in  the 
covenant  of  grace ;  and  then  pray  with  them,  earnestly 
entreating,  that  the  I^ord  would  bestow  his  grace  upon 
them,  and  thus  make  them  witnesses  of  the  agony  with 
■which  I  am  travailing  to  see  the  image  of  Christ  for- 
med in  them.  Certainly  they  will  never  forget  such 
exercises  as  these  ! 

Xin.  I  would  be  very  watchful  and  cautious  about 
tke  companions  of  my  children.     I  would  be  very  iu^ 


fS  ESSAYS  To  2:J0  GOOD^ 

€ iiisilive  to  Icam  what  company  they  keep.  If  thef 
are  ia  daoger  of  being  ensnared  by  vicious  company,  I 
win  earnestly  pull  them  out  of  it,  as  "brands  out  of 
the  burning;''  and  wiU  try  to  procure  for  them  fit  and 
ustful  associates. 

XIV.  As  in  catechising  the  chiklrcn,  so  in  the  re- 
petition of  the  public  sermons,  I  would  use  this  meth- 
od :  I  would  put  every  truth  into  the  form  of  a  ques- 
tion, to  be  answered  with  yes,  or  no.  By  this  method 
I  hope  to  awaken  their  attention,  as  well  as  enlighten 
their  understandings.  And  thus  I  shall  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  ask,  do  you  desire  such  and  such  a  grace  ? 
with  other  siiiiilar  questions.  Yea,  I  may  by  this 
means  have  an  opportunity  to  demand,  and  perhaps  to 
obtain,  their  early,  frequent,  and,  I  would  hope,  sincere 
consent  to  the  glorious  articles  of  the  new  covenant. 
The  spirit  of  grace  may  fall  upon  them  in  this  action, 
and  tliey  may  be  seized  by  him,  and  possessed  by  him 
as  bis  temples,  through  eternal  ages. 

XV.  When  a  day  of  humiliation  arrives,  1  will 
make  them  know  the  meaning  of  the  day ;  and  after 
some  time  given  them  to  consider  of  it,  I  will  require 
them  to  tell  me,  what  special  afflictions  they  have  met 
with,  and  what  good  they  hope  to  get  by  those  afflic- 
tions. On  a  day  of  thanksgiving,  they  shall  also  be 
made  to  know  the  intent  of  the  day  ;  and  after  consid- 
eration, they  shall  inform  me,  what  mercies  of  God  to 
them  they  take  special  notice  of,  and  what  duties  to 
God,  they  confess  and  resolve  to  perform  under  such 
obligations.  Indeed,  for  something  of  this  importance, 
to  be  pursued  in  my  conversation  with  them,  I  would 
not  confine  myself  to  the  solemn  days,  which  may  oc- 
cur too  seklora  for  it  ;  but,  particularly,  when  the 
birth' day?,  of  any  of  the  children  arrive,  I  would  take 


ESSAY"?  TO  DO  GOOD*  C,?> 


them  a^iile,  and  remind  them  of  the  age,  v,hicli,  hav- 
ing obtained  help  of  God,  they  have  attained  ;  and 
tell  them  how  thankful  they  should  be  for  the  mercies 
of  God,  u{)OU  \Yhich  they  have  hitherto  lived ;  and  how 
fruitful  they  should  be  in  all  goodness,  that  so  they 
may  still  enjoy  their  mercies.  And  I  would  inquire  oi 
them,  whether  they  have  ever  yet  begun  to  mind  the 
work  which  God  sent  them  into  the  world  to  perform ; 
what  attempts  they  have  made  to\Yards  it ;  and  how 
they  design  to  spend  the  rest  of  their  time,  if  God  cou' 
tinue  them  in  the  world. 

XVI.  When  the  children  are  in  any  trouble,  whe- 
ther sickness  or  otherwise,  I  will  take  advantage  of  the 
occasion,  to  set  before  them  the  evil  of  sin,  the  cause 
of  all  our  trouble;  aod  will  represent  to  them,  how 
fearful  a  thing  it  will  be,  to  be  cast  among  the  damned^ 
who  are  in  unceasing  and  endless  trouble.  I  will  set 
before  them  the  benefit  of  an  interest  in  Christ,  by 
•which  their  trouble  will  be  sanctified  to  them,  and  they 
will  be  prepared  for  deatli,  and  for  fulness  of  joy  in  a 
happy  eternity  after  deatho 

XVI  lo  I  wish,  tliat  among  all  the  branches  of  a 
polite  education,  which  I  would  endeavor  to  give  my 
children,  each  of  them,  the  daughters  as  well  as  the 
sons,  may  have  so  much  acquaintance  with  some  pro- 
fitable avocation  (whether  it  be  painting,  or  the  law, 
or  medicine,  or  any  other  employment  to  which  their 
own  inclination  may  the  most  lead  them,)  that  they 
may  be  able  to  obtain  for  themselves  a  comfortable 
subsistence,  if  by  the  providence  of  God,  they  should 
ever  be  brought  into  destitute  circumstances.  Why 
should  not  they  be  thus  instructed  as  well  as  Paul,  the 
tent-maker !  Children  of  the  highest  rank  may  have 
©ccasien  to  bless  their  parents  who  made  such  a  pro- 


6^  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


vision  for  them.  The  Jews  hare  a  saying  on  this  sub- 
ject, which  h  worthy  to  be  mentioned :  "Whoever 
teaches  not  his  sou  some  trade  or  business  does  in 
reality  teach  him  to  be  a  thief.'** 

XVIII.  As  early  as  possible,  I  would  make  my 
children  acquainted  with  the  chief  end  for  which  they 
are  to  live ;  that  so  their  youth  may  not  be  altogether 
vanity.  I  would  shew  them  that  their  chief  end  must 
be  to  acknowledge  the  great  God,  and  to  bring  others 
to  acknowledge  him  ;  and  that  they  are  never  acting 
w  isely  nor  well,  but  when  they  are  so  doing.  I  would 
shew  them,  what  these  acknowledgments  are,  and  how 
they  are  to  be  made.  I  would  make  them  able  to  an- 
swer the  grand  question,  "for  what  purpose  do  you  live ; 
and  what  is  the  end  of  the  actions  that  employ  your 
lives  ?"  I  would  teach  them  how  their  Creator  and 
Redeemer  is  to  be  obeyed  in  every  thing,  and  how 
every  thing  is  to  be  done  in  obedience  to  him  ;  I 
would  instruct  them  in  what  manner  even  their  diver- 
sions, their  ornaments,  and  the  tasks  of  their  educa- 
tion, must  all  be  managed  to  fit  them  for  the  further 
service  of  Him  to  whom  I  have  devoted  them,  and 
how,  in  these  also,  his  commandments  must  be  the 
rule  of  all  they  do.  I  would  therefore  sometimes  sur- 
prise them  with  an  inquiry,  "child,  what  is  this  for? 
Give  me  a  good  account  why  you  do  it."  How  com- 
fortably shall  I  see  them  "walking  in  the  light,"  if  I 
may  bring  them  wisely  to  answer  this  question  ;  and 
what  "children  of  the  light"  they  will  be  ! 

XIX.  I  would  sometimes  oblige  the  children  to 
retire,  and  ponder  on  that  question  ;  "What  should  I 
wish  to  have  done,  if  I  were  now  dying  ?"  After  they 


*  Qjiicunque  fi'ium  suum  non  docet  opificiuii),  pcrlnde 
est  ac  51  eum  docet  latrociaiura. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  65 


fliall  have  reported  to  me  their  own  answer  to  the 
question,  I  will  take  occasion  from  it,  to  inculcate  up- 
on them  the  lessons  of  godliness.  I  would  also  direct 
and  oblige  them,  at  a  proper  time,  seriously  to  realize 
their  own  appearance  before  the  awful  judgment-=eai 
of  the  LordJesus  Christ,  and  to  consider,  what  they 
bave  to  plead  that  they  may  not  be  sent  away  intck 
everlasting  punishment ;  what  they  have  to  plead,  that 
they  may  be  admitted  into  the  holy  city.  I  would  in- 
struct them  what  plea  to  prepare  :  first,  shew  them 
liow  to  get  a  part  in  the  righteousness  cf  him  who  is  to 
be  their  Judge,  by  receiving  it  with  a  thankful  faith 
as  the  gift  of  intinite  grace  to  the  distressed  and  un 
>Yorthy  sinner:  then  shew  them  how  to  prove  that 
their  faith  is  genuine  by  their  continual  endeavor  iit 
all  things  to  please  him  who  is  to  be  their  Judge,  and 
to  serve  his  kingdom  and  interest  in  the  world.  And 
I  would  charge  them  to  make  this  preparation. 

XX.  If  I  live  to  see  the  children  arrive  at  a  mar- 
liageable  age,  I  would,  before  I  consult  with  heaven 
or  earth  for  their  best  accommodation  in  the  married 
state,  aim  at  the  espousal  of  their  souls  to  their  only 
Savior.  I  would,  as  plainly  and  as  fully  as  I  can,  pro- 
pose to  them  the  terms  on  which  the  glorious  Redeem- 
er will  espouse  them  to  himself,  in  righteousness  and 
judgment,  favor  and  mercies  forever ;  and  solicit  their 
consent  to  his  proposal,  and  overtures  :  then  I  would 
proceed  to  do  what  may  be  expected  from  a  tendec 
parent  for  them,  in  their  temporal  circumstances. 

From  these  parental  resolutions,  how  reasonably, 
how  naturally,  may  we  pass  on  to  say, 

Ckildten,  the  fifth  commandment  confirms  all  youi 
other  numberless  and  [)owerful  obligations  often  to  iu- 
tiuire,  "Wherein  may  I  be  a  blessins:  to  my  parents  ?"' 
F2. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


Ingenuousness  of  di3position  would  make  this  the  tei  tr 
summit  of  your  ambition,  to  be  a  credit  and  a  comfort 
to  your  parents ;  to  sweeten,  and  it  may  be,  to  length- 
en the  lives  of  those,  from  whom,  under  God,  you  have 
received  your  own.  And  God,  the  Rew^arder,  usually 
gives  to  such  a  conduct,  even  in  this  life,  a  most  o(3« 
servable  recompense.  But  it  is  possible,  you  may  be 
the  happy  instruments  of  more  than  a  little  good  to 
the  souls  of  your  parents.  Yea,  though  they  should  be 
pious  parents,  you  may,  by  some  delicate  methods,  be 
the  instruments  of  their  growth  in  piety  and  prepara- 
tion for  the  heavenly  world.  Happy,  thrice  happy 
children,  w  ho  are  thus  favored !  Among  the  Arabians, 
a  father  sometimes  takes  his  name  from  an  eminent  son, 
as  well  as  a  son  from  his  reputable  father.  Truly,  a 
son  may  be  such  a  blessing  to  his  father,  that  the  best 
le  for  the  glad  father  would  be,  "  the  father  of 


imters,  yea,  and  Mi^fi-esscs  too,  must  have  their 
devTffes,  how  to  do  good  to  their  servants;  how  to 
make  them  the  servants  of  Christ,  and  the  chikhen  of 
Gotl.  God,  whom  you  must  remember  to  be  "your 
Master  in  heaven,"  has  brought  them  to  you,  and  pla- 
ced them  under  your  care.  Who  can  tell  for  what  good 
he  has  brought  them  ?  What  if  they  should  be  the 
elect  of  God,  fetched  from  different  parts,  and  brought 
into  your  families,  on  purpose,  that  by  means  of  their 
situation,  they  may  be  brought  home  to  the  Shepherd 
of  souls  !  O  that  the  souls  of  our  servants  were  more 
regarded  by  us  !  that  we  might  give  a  better  demon- 
stration that  we  despise  not  our  own  souls,  by  doing 
what  we  can  for  the  souls  of  our  servants !  How  can 
we  pretend  to  Christianity,  when  we  do  no  more  to 
christiaoise  our  servants !  Yerily,  you  must  give  an 


K83AY3  10  DO  GOOU.  67 

account  to  God  concerning  their.  If  lliey  should  be 
lost  through  your  negligence,  uhat  answer  can  you 
make  to  "God,  the  Judge  of  all  ?"  Mtthinks,  comiuoii 
principles  of  gratitude  should  incline  you  to  study  tiie 
liaj>[)iiiess  of  those,  by  v.hose  labors  your  lives  are  so 
much  accommodated.  Certainly,  they  would  be  the 
better  servants  to  you,  more  faithful,  honest,  industri- 
ous, and  submissive,  for  your  bringing  thena  into  the 
service  of  your  cooimoa  Lord.* 


On  doinsr  2:ood  to  our  strvmiU, 


-to  to 


I  have  somewhere  met  with  a  paper  under  this  title, 
the  resolution  of  a  master ;  which  rway  be  properly  in- 
serted in  this  place  t 

I.  I  would  always  remember,  that  jny  servants,- are 
in  some  sense,  my  children ;  and  by  taking  care  that 
they  want  nothing  which  may  be  good  for  them,  I 
would  make  them  as  my  children  ;  and,  as  far  as  the 
methods  of  instilling  piety  into  the  miod,  which  I  use 
with  my  children,  may  be  properly  and  prudently  used 
with  my  servants,  they  shall  be  partakers  in  them. 
Nor  will  I  leave  them  ignorant  of  any  thing,  wherein 
I  may  instruct  them  to  be  useful  to  their  generation. 

•  In  the  original  work,  some  observalions  are  made  in 
this  place  wiih  respect  to  the  usage  of  slaves  ;  but  as  tha 
subject  has  happily  no  connexion  with  our  country,  the  pas- 
sage is  here  omitted, 

f  The  modesty  of  the  autbor  thus  expresses,  probably, 
tis  own  proUugtion, 


63  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


II.  I  will  see  that  my  servants  be  furnished  with 
Bibles,  and  be  able  and  careful  to  read  the  lively  ora- 
cles. I  will  put  Bibles  and  other  good  and  proper 
books  into  their  hands ;  will  allow  them  time  to  read, 
and  assure  myself  that  they  do  not  mispend  this  time. 
If  I  can  discern  any  wicked  books  in  their  hands,  I 
Xiill  take  away  from  them  those  pestilential  instru* 
liients  of  wickedness.  They  shall  also  write  as  well 
as  read,  if  I  may  be  able  to  bring  them  to  it.  And  I 
will  appoint  them,  now  and  then,  such  things  to  write 
as  may  be  for  their  greatest  advantage. 

III.  I  will  have  my  servants  present  at  the  religi- 
ous exercises  of  my  family ;  and  will  drop,  either  in 
the  exhortations,  in  the  prayers,  or  in  the  daily  sacri- 
fices of  the  family,  such  passages  as  may  have  a  ten- 
dency to  quicken  a  sense  of  religion  in  them. 

IV.  The  article  of  catechising,  as  far  as  the  age  or 
state  of  the  servants  will  permit  it  to  be  done  with  de- 
cency, shall  extend  to  them  also.  And  they  shall  be 
concerned  in  the  conferences  in  which  I  may  be  en- 
gaged with  mj^  familj'',  in  the  repetition  of  the  public 
sermons.  If  any  of  them  when  they  come  to  me,  shall 
not  have  learned  the  catechism,  I  will  take  care  that 
they  do  it,  and  will  give  them  a  reward  when  they 
have  accomplished  it. 

V.  I  will  be  very  inquisitive  and  solicitous  about 
the  company  chosen  by  m}'  servants;  and  with  all 
possible  earnestness  will  rescue  them  from  the  snares 
of  evil  company,  and  forbid  their  being  the  "compan- 
ions of  fools." 

VI.  Such  of  my  servants  as  may  be  capable  of  the 
task,  I  will  employ  to  teach  lessons  of  piety  to  my 
children,  and  will  recompense  them  for  so  doing. 
But  I  would,  by  a  particular  artifice,  coatrive  them 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  69 


to  be  such  lessons  as  may  be  for  their  own  edificatioa 
too. 

VII.  I  will  sometimes  call  my  servants  alone; 
talk  to  them  about  the  state  of  their  souls ,  tell  them 
how  to  close  with  their  only  Savior ;  charge  them  to 
do  well,  and  "lay  hold  on  eternal  life;"  and  shew 
them  very  particularly  how  they  may  render  all  they  do 
for  me,  a  service  to  the  glorious  Lord  ;  how  they  may 
do  all  from  a  principle  of  obedience  to  him,  and  be- 
come entitled  to  the  '^reward  of  the  heavenly  inherit- 
ance." 

To  these  resolutions  I  add  the  following  passages 
as  an  Appendix. 

Age  is  nearly  sufficient,  with  some  masters,  to  ob- 
literate every  letter  and  action  in  the  history  of  a  me* 
ritorious  life;  and  old  services  are  generally  buried 
under  the  ruins  of  an  old  carcase.  It  is  a  barbarous 
inhumanity  in  men  towards  their  servants,  to  account 
their  small  failings  as  crimes,  without  allowing  their 
past  services  to  have  been  virtues.  Gracious  God, 
keep  thy  servant  from  such  base  ingratitude ! 

But  then,  O  servants,  if  you  would  obtain  **the 
reward  of  the  inheritance,"  each  of  you  should  set 
yourself  to  enquire — "how  shall  I  approve  myself  such 
a  servant  that  the  Lord  may  bless  the  house  of  my 
master  the  more  for  my  being  in  it  ?"  Certainly, 
there  are  many  ways  in  which  servants  may  become 
blessings.  Let  your  studies,  with  your  continual 
prayers  for  the  welfare  of  the  families  to  which  you 
belong,  and  the  example  of  your  sober  carriage,  ren- 
der you  such.  If  you  will  but  remember  four  words, 
and  attempt  all  that  is  comprised  in  them. 

Obedience,  Honesly,  Industry,  and  Piety, 
you  will  be  the  blessi?igs  and  the  Josephs  of  the  fam> 


to  ESSAYS  TO    DO  GOOD. 

lies  in  which  you  live.  Let  these  four  words  be  (lis* 
tinctly  and  frequently  recollected;  and  cheerfully  per- 
form all  your  business,  on  this  consideration — that  it 
is  an  obedience  to  Heaven,  and  from  thence  will  have 
a  recompense.  It  was  the  observation  even  of  a  Pa- 
gan, "that  a  master  maj'"  receive  a  benefit  from  a  ser- 
vant ;^  and,  "what  is  done  with  the  aaection  of  a  friend, 
ceases  to  be  the  act  of  a  mere  servant."*  Even  tlie 
Alaid  Servants  of  the  house  may  render  a  great  service 
to  it,  by  instructing  the  infants,  and  instilling  into 
their  minds,  the  lessons  of  goodness.  Thus,  by  Bil- 
hah  and  Zllpah,  may  children  be  born  again;  thus  the 
mistresses,  by  the  travail  of  their  handmaids,  may  have 
children  brought  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

I  proceed — -humanity  teaches  us  to  take  notice  of 
ftll  our  kindred.  Nature  bespeaks  what  we  call  a 
*'natural  affection"  to  all  ivho  are  a-kin  to  us;  to  be 
destitute  of  it  is  a  very  bad  character;  it  is  a  brand  on 
the  worst  of  men,  on  such  as  forfeit  the  name  of  man. 
But  Christianity  is  intended  to  improve  it.  Our  nat- 
ural affection  is  to  be  improved  into  a  religious  intention. 
Reader,  make  a  catalogue  of  all  your  more  distant 
relatives-  Consider  them  one  by  one;  and  make  each 
of  them  the  subject  of  your  "good  devices."  Ask  this 
question :  "how  may  I  pursue  the  good  of  such  a  rel- 
ative :  by  what  means  may  I  render  such  a  relative 
the  better  for  me  ?"  It  is  possible  that  you  may  do 
something  for  your  relatives  which  may  afford  them 
cause  to  bless  God  for  your  relation  to  them.  Have 
they  no  calamity  under  which  you  may  give  them  re- 
lief.^ Is  there  no  temptation  against  which  you  may 
give  them  some  caution  ?    Is  there  no  article  of  their 


^  Q^iod  (it.  affectu  anVici,  dcsinil  esse  rolnistcrium. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  'II 

prosperity  to  which  you  may  be  subservient  ?  At  least, 
tvilh  your  affectionate  prayers,  you  may  go  over  your 
catalogue ;  you  may  pray  for  each  of  them  successive- 
ly by  name ;  and  Avhy  may  you  not  put  propec  books 
of  piety  into  their  hands,  to  be  durable  memorials  of 
their  duties  to  God,  and  of  your  desires  for  their  good  ? 


On  doing  good  to  our  neighbors. 

This  excellent  zeal  should  be  extended  to  the 
neighborhood.  Neighbors  !  you  stand  related  to  each 
other;  and  you  should  contrive  how  others  should  have 
reason  to  r?joice  in  your  neighborhood.  "The  right- 
eous is  more  excellent  than  his  neighbor ;"  but  we 
shall  scarcely  allow  him  to  be  so,  unless  he  be  more 
excellent  as  a  neighbor  :  he  must  excel  in  the  duties 
of  good  neighborhood.  Let  that  man  be  better  than 
his  neighbor,  who  labors  most  to  be  a  better  neigh- 
bor— to  do  most  good  to  his  neighbor. 

And  here,  first,  the  poor  people  that  lie  wounded 
must  have  oil  and  wine  poured  into  their  wounds. 
It  was  a  charming  trait  in  the  character  of  a  modern 
prince — "To  be  in  distress  is  to  deserve  his  favor." 
O  good  neighbor!  put  on  that  princely,  that  more 
than  royal  quality.  See  who  in  the  neighborhood  may 
thus  deserve  thy  favor.  We  are  told  that  '7)ure  reli- 
gion and  undcfiled  (a  jewel  not  counterfeited,  and 
without  a  flaw,)  is  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows 
in  their  affliction."  The  orphans  and  the  widows,  and 


Tf  F.SSAYS  TO  DO  OOOW 


all  the  children  of  affliction  in  the  neighborhood,  must 
be  visited  and  relieved  with  all  suitable  kiridsiess. 

Neighbors !  be  concerned  that  the  orphans  and  the 
widows  may  be  well  provided  for.  They  meet  with 
grievous  difficulties,  with  unknown  temptations; 
W  li«n  their  nearest  relatives  were  living,  they  were 
perhaps,  but  meanly  provided  for :  what  then  must  be 
their  present  solitary  condition  ?  that  condition 
should  be  well  considered ;  and  the  result  of  the  con- 
sideration should  be,  "I  delivered  the  orphan  who  had 
no  helper,  and  I  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing  for 

joy." 

By  the  same  rule,  all  the  afflicted  in  the  neighbor- 
hood are  to  be  considered.  Would  it  be  too  much  for 
you  omce  in  a  week,  at  least,  to  think  "What  neighbor 
is  reduced  to  pinching  and  painful  poverty,  or  impov- 
erished with  heavy  losses  ?  What  neighbor  is  languish- 
ing with  sickness,  especially  with  severe  disease,  and 
of  long  continuance  ?  What  neighbor  is  broken-heart- 
ed with  the  loss  of  a  dear  and  desirable  relative  ? 
What  neighbor  has  a  soul  violently  assaulted  by  the 
enemy  of  souls  ?"  and  then  consider,  "What  can  be 
done  for  such  neighbors  ?" 

In  the  first  place,  you  will  pitif  them.  The  evan- 
gelical precept  is,  "Have  compassion  one  t)f  another 
— be  pitiful.'*  It  was  of  old  and  ever  will  be  a  just  ex- 
pectation, "to  him  that  is  afflicted,  pity  should  be 
shewn ;"  and  let  our  pity  to  the  distressed  be  express- 
ed by  our  prayer  for  them.  It  would  be  a  very  love- 
ly practice  for  you  in  the  daily  prayer  of  your  closet 
every  evening  to  think,  "what  miserable  object  have 
I  seen  to-day,  for  whom  I  may  do  well  nOw  to  entreat 
the  mercies  of  the  Lord  ?"  But  this  is  not  all ;  it  is 
posibible,  nay  probable,  that  you  may  do  well  to  visit 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  73 

them ;  and  when  you  visit  them,  comfort  them ;  carry 
them  some  good  word,  which  may  raise  gladness  in  a 
hPHft  stooping  with  heaviness. 

And,  lastl}^ :  Render  them  all  the  assistance  which 
their  necessities  may  require.  Assist  them  by  your 
advice  5  assist  them  by  obtaining  the  help  of  other 
persons  on  their  behalf;  and,  if  it  be  needful,  bestow 
your  AL5IS  upon  them ;  "deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry  ; 
bring  to  thy  house  the  poor  that  are  cast  out ;  when 
thou  seest  the  naked  cover  them  :"  at  least,  exercise 
^'azianzen''s  charity;  **Si  nihil  habes,  da  lacrymu- 
lam;"  "if  you  have  nothing  else  to  bestow  upon  the 
miserable,  bestow  a  tear  or  two  upon  their  miseries.—' 
This  little  is  better  than  nothing. 

Would  it  be  amiss  for  you,  always  to  have  lying  by 
you,  a  list  of  the  poor  in  your  neighborhood,  or  of 
those  whose  calamities  may  call  for  the  assistance  of 
the  neighborhood  ?  Such  a  list  would  often  furnish 
you  with  matter  for  useful  conversation,  when  you  are 
conversing  with  your  friends,  w^hom  you  may  hereby 
"provoke  to  love  and  to  good  works." 

I  will  go  on  to  say,  be  glad  of  opportunities  to  do 
good  in  your  neighborhood ;  yea,  look  out  for  them ; 
lay  hold  on  them  with  a  rapturous  assiduity.  Be  sor- 
ry for  all  the  sad  circumstances  of  your  neighbor 
which  render  your  exertions  necessary  ;  yet,  be  glad, 
if  any  one  tell  you  of  them.  Thank  him  who  gives 
you  the  information,  as  having  therein  done  j'ou  a 
rery  great  kindness.  Let  him  know  that  he  could 
not,  by  any  means,  have  obliged  you  more.  Clieer- 
fully  embrace  every  opportunity  o'l  shewing  civility  to 
your  neighbors,  whetlier  by  lending,  by  watching,  or 
by  any  other  method  in  your  power.  And  let  the 
pleasantness  of  your  countenance  prove  that  you  do 
G. 


74"  SSSATS  TO  DO  CGOW, 


this  willingly :  "Cum  munere  vultum."  *'Let  your 
%\isdom  cause  your  face  to  shine."  Look  upon  your 
ueighbors,  not  with  a  cloudy,  but  with  a  serene  and 
shining  face ;  and  shed  the  rays  of  your  kindness  up- 
on them,  with  such  affability,  that  they  ntiay  see  they 
are  welcome  to  all  you  can  do  for  them.  Yea,  stay 
not  until  you  are  told  of  opportunities  to  do  good,  but 
inquire  after  them,  and  let  the  inqiury  be  solicitous 
and  unwearied.  The  incomparable  pleasure  which 
attends  the  performance  of  acts  of  benevolence  is 
worth  a  diligent  inquiry. 

There  was  a  generous  Pagan,  who  counted  a  day 
lost,  in  which  he  had  not  obliged  some  one,  "Friends, 
I  have  lost  a  day  I"*  O  christian,  let  us  try  whether 
we  cannot  contrive  to  do  somethiog  for  one  or  other  of 
our  neighbors,  every  day  that  passes  over  our  heads. 
Some  do  so ;  and  with  a  better  spirit  than  ever  actuat- 
ed Titus  Vespasian.  Thrice,  in  the  scriptures,  we 
find  the  good  angels  rejoicing ;  it  is  alv>rays  at  the  good 
of  others.  To  rejoice  in  the  good  of  others,  and  espe- 
cially in  doing  good  to  them,  is  angelical  goodness. 

In  promoting  the  good  of  the  neighborhood,  I  wish 
above  all,  that  you  will  consult  their  spiritual  good. 
Be  concerned  lest  "the  deceitfulness  of  sin"  should 
destroy  any  of  your  neighbors.  If  there  be  any  idle 
people  among  them,  take  pains  to  cure  them  of  their 
idleness :  do  not  nourish  and  harden  them  in  it,  but 
find  employment  for  them;  set  them  to  work,  and 
keep  them  to  work ;  and  then  be  as  bountiful  to  them 
as  you  please. 

If  any  poor  children  in  the  neighborhood  are  totally 
destitute  of  education,  do  not  suffer  them  to  remain  ia 


♦  Amici,  diem  perdldi. 


ESSITS  TO  DO  GOOD.  75 


that  statcl  Let  care  be  taken  that  they  may  be  taught 
to  read,  to  learn  their  catechism,  and  the  truths  and 
ways  of  their  only  Savior. 

Once  more.  If  any  persons  in  the  neighborhood 
are  taking  to  bad  courses,  affectionately  and  faithfully 
admonish  them :  if  any  act  as  enemies  to  their  own 
welfare,  or  that  of  their  families,  prudently  dispense 
your  admonitions  to  them  :  if  there  be  any  prayerless 
families,  cease  not  to  entreat  and  exhort  them,  till  you 
have  persuaded  them  to  commence  domestic  worship. 
If  there  be  any  service  of  God  or  his  people,  to  which 
any  one  is  backward,  tenderly  excite  him  to  it.  What 
ever  snare  you  perceive  a  neighbor  exposed  to,  be  so 
kind  as  to  warn  him  against  it.  By  furnishing  your 
neighbors  with  good  books  or  tracts,  and  obtaining 
their  promise  to  read  them,  who  can  tell  how  much 
good  may  be  done !  It  is  possible,  that  in  this  way, 
you  may  administer  with  ingenuity  and  efficacy,  such 
reproofs  as  your  neighbors  may  need,  and  without 
hindering  your  personal  conversation  with  them  on  the 
same  subjects,  if  they  need  your  particular  advice. 

Finally,  if  there  be  any  bad  houses,  which  threaten 
to  debauch  and  poison  your  neighbors ;  let  your  chari- 
ty induce  you  to  exert  yourself  as  much  as  possible 
for  their  suppression. 

That  ray  proposal  "to  do  good  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  as  a  neighbor,"  may  be  more  fully  formed  and  fol- 
lowed, I  will  conclude  by  reminding  you  that  much 
tdf-denial  will  be  requisite  in  the  execution  of  it;  you 
must  be  armed  against  all  selfish  intentions  in  these 
generous  attempts.  You  must  not  employ  your  good 
actions  as  persons  use  water,  which  they  pour  into  a 
pamp,  to  draw  up  something  for  yourselves.  Our  Lord's 


76  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


direction  is,  *'Iend,  hoping  for  nothing  again,*'*  and  do 
good  to  such  as  you  are  never  likely  to  be  the  better 
for. 

But  then,  there  is  something  still  higher  to  be  re- 
quired ;  that  is,  "do  good  to  those  neiglibors  who  have 
done  you  harm ;"  so  saith  our  Savior,  "love  your  ene- 
mies ;  bless  them  that  curse  you ;  do  good  to  them  that 
hate  you,  and  pray  for  them  that  despitefully  use  you, 
and  persecute  you."  Yea,  if  an  injury  have  been 
doue  you  by  any  one,  consider  it  as  a  provocation  to 
confer  a  benefit  on  him.  This  is  noble!  It  will  afford 
you  much  consolation.  Some  other  method  might 
make  you  even  with  your  froward  neighbors  ;  but  this 
will  place  you  above  them  all.  It  were  nobly  done, 
if  in  your  evening  retirement  you  offer  a  petition  to 
God  for  the  pardon  and  prosperity  of  any  person  who 
has  injured  you  in  the  course  of  the  day :  and  it  would 
be  excellent  if,  in  looking  over  the  catalogue  of  such 
as  have  injured  you,  you  should  be  able  to  say,  (the 
only  intention  that  can  justify  your  keeping  such  a 
catalogue,)  there  is  not  one  of  these,  to  whom  I  have 
iiot  done,  or  attempted  to  do,  a  kindness.  Among  the 
Jews  themselves,  the  Hasideans  offered  this  daily  pe- 
tition to  God,  "forgive  all  who  trouble  and  harass  us.**| 


*To  /f.W  a  thing-,  is,  properly,  to  Aoj&e  that  we  shall  re- 
ceive it  again  ;  and  this  properly  refers  to  the  ehanismoi, 
or  Collation^  usual  anp.ong'  the  uncients,  of  which  we  find  ire  = 
quent  mention  in  history.  If  any  man  by  a  fire,  shipwreck, 
or  other  disaster,  had  lost  his  estate,  his  friends  used,  to  lend 
him  a  considerable  sum  to  be  repaid,  Siot  at  a  certain  day^ 
but  when  he  should  find  himself  able,  with  convenience  to 
repay  it.  Now  persons  would  rarely  lend  on  such  occasions » 
unless  they  had  some  reason  to  hope  they  should  ag-am  ie> 
ceive  their  money,  and  that  the  person  to  wham  it  w\a^  lent, 
should  also  requite  their  kindness,  if  they  should  ever  need 
it. 

i  Ilemitte  et  ccndona  omnibu--  qui  vcsant  ncs. 


BSSATS  T*  DO  eooD.  77 


Christians,  exceed  them :  Justin  Martyr  tells  us  they 
did  so  in  primitive  times — "they  prayed  for  their  ene- 
Biies." 

But  I  must  not  stop  here ;  something  higher  still  is 
requisite.  Do  good  to  those  neighbors  who  will  speak 
evil  of  you  for  doing  so :  "Thus,"  saith  our  Savior,  "ye 
shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest,  who  is  kind  to 
the  unthankful,  and  to  the  evil."  You  will  constant- 
ly meet  with  monsters  of  ingratitude  ;  and  if  you  dis- 
tinguish a  person,  by  doing  far  more  for  him  than  foe 
others,  that  very  person  perhaps  will  do  you  an  injury, 
O  the  wisdom  of  Divine  Providence,  by  which  this  is 
permitted,  that  you  may  learn  to  do  good  on  a  divine 
principle — good,  merely  for  the  sake  of  good !  "Lord, 
increase  our  faith !" 

There  is  a  memorable  passage  in  the  Jewish  re* 
cords.  A  certain  gentleman  was  remarkably  gener- 
ous, and  many  persons  were  constantly  relieved  by 
bis  bounty.  One  day  he  asked  the  following  ques- 
tion :  "Well,  what  do  our  people  say  to-day  ?"  The 
answer  was,  "sir,  the  people  partook  of  your  favors, 
and  blessed  you.  very  fervently."  "Did  they  so?** 
said  he,  "then  I  shall  have  no  great  reward  for  this 
iiay."  At  another  time,  he  asked,  the  same  question — 
"Well,  and  what  say  our  people  nov,  ?"  They  replied, 
"Alas !  good  sir,  the  people  enjoyed  your  favors  to- 
day, and  after  all,  they  did  nothing  but  rail  at  you.'* 
*'Indeed!"  said  he,  *'then  for  thi^  day  i  am  sure  that 
God  will  give  me  a  good  and  great  reward."  Thug 
then,  though  vile  constructions  and  harsh  invectives 
should  be  the  present  rew<ird  of  your  best  offices  for 
<he  neighborhood;  yet  be  not  discouraged:  "Thy 
•work  shall  be  re  warded, '*^  saith  the  Lord.     If  your  op- 

portimities  to  do  good  extend  no  further,  yet  1  vfiii 
G2. 


fft  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


ofi'er  you  a  consolation,  Avhich  a  certaia  writer  lias 
thus  elegantly  expressed  :  "Re  who  praises  God  only 
oa  a  ten  stringed  instrument;  whose  authority  extends 
no  further  than  his  own  family,  nor  his  example  beyond 
liis  own  neighborhood,  may  have  as  thankful  a  heart 
here,  and  as  high  a  place  in  the  celestial  choir  hereaf- 
ter, as  the  greatest  monarch,  who  praises  God  upon  an 
instrument  of  ten  thousand  strings,  and  upon  the  loud 
sounding  organ,  having  as  many  millions  of  pipes  as 
there  are  subjects  in  his  empire,'* 


Private  Meetings  fir  Religion, 


We  cannot  dismiss  this  part  of  the  subject,  without 
offering  a  Proposal  to  animate  and  regulate  Private 
Meetings  of  religious  persons,  for  the  exercises  of  reli- 
gion. It  is  very  certain  that  when  such  i)rivate  meet* 
ings  have  been  maintained,  and  well  conducted,  the 
christians  who  have  composed  them  have,  like  so  ma- 
cy  "coals  of  the  altar,"  kept  one  another  alive,  and 
been  the  means  of  maintaining  a  lively  Christianity  in 
the  neighborhood.  Such  societies  have  been  strong 
and  approved  instruments^  to  uphold  the  power  of  god- 
liness. The  disuse  of  such  societies  has  been  accom- 
panied with  a  visible  decay  of  religion  :  in  proportion 
as  they  have  been  discontinued  or  disregarded  ia  any 
place,  the  less  bag  goiiliaesg  flgurislie^Q 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  7^ 


Tlie  rules  oljserved  by  some  Associated  Families  may 
be  offered  \vith  advantage,  on  this  occasion.  They 
will  sliew  us  what  good  may  be  done  in  a  neighbor- 
hood, by  the  establishment  of  such  societies. 

1.  It  is  proposed,  That  a  select  number  of  families, 
perhaps  about  twelve,  agree  to  meet,  (the  men  anJ  their 
wives)  at  each  other's  houses  alternately,  once  in  a 
fortnight  or  a  month,  or  otherwise,  as  shall  be  thought 
most  proper,  and  spend  a  suitable  time  together,  m 
religious  exercises. 

2.  The  exercises  of  religion  proper  for  such  a  meet- 
ing are  ;  for  the  brethren  in  rotation  to  commence  and 
conclude  with  prayer;  for  psalms  to  be  sung  ;  and  for 
sermons  to  be  repeated. 

3.  It  were  desirable,  for  the  ministers,  now  and 
(lien,  to  be  present  at  the  meeting,  and  pray  with 
them,  iastrucl.  and  exhort  them,  as  they  may  see  oc- 
casion. 

4.  Candidates  for  the  ministry  may  do  well  to  per- 
form their  first  offices  here,  and  thereby  prepare  them- 
selves for  further  services. 

5.  One  special  design  of  the  meeting  should  be  with 
united  prayers  to  ask  the  blessing  of  Heaven  on  the 
family  where  they  are  assembled,  as  well  as  on 
the  rest :  that  the  wonderous  force  of  united  prayers, 
*-two  or  three  may  agree  on  earth,  to  ask  such  things'* 
as  are  to  be  done  for  the  families,  by  *'our  Father  which 
is  in  heaven." 

6.  The  members  of  such  a  society  should  consider 
themselves,  as  bound  up  in  one  "bundle  of  love;"  and 
count  themselves  obliged,  by  very  close  and  strong 
bonds,  to  be  serviceable  to  one  another.  If  any  one 
in  the  society  should  fall  into  affliction,  all  the  rest 
should  presently  study  t9  relieye  aad  support  the  afflict- 


80  BSSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


€cl  person  in  every  possible  way.  If  any  one  should 
fall  into  temptation,  the  rest  should  watch  over  hins, 
and  with  the  "spirit  of  meekness,"  with  "meekness  of 
wisdom,"  endeavor  to  recover  him.  It  should  be  like 
a  law  of  the  Medes  and  Persians  to  the  whole  society 
— that  they  will,  upon  all  just  occasions,  affectionately 
give  and  receive  mutual  admonitions  of  any  thing  that 
they  may  see  amiss  In  each  other. 

7.  -It  is  not  easy  to  calculate  the  good  offices  which 
such  a  society  may  do  to  many  other  persons,  besides 
its  own  members.  The  prayers  of  such  well-disposed 
societies  may  fetch  down  marvellous  favors  from  heav- 
en on  their  pa&tors ;  their  lives  may  be  prolonged,  theie 
gifts  augmented,,  their  graces  brightened,  and  their  la- 
bors prospered,  in  answer  to  the  supplications  of  such 
associated  families.  The  interests  of  religion  may  be 
also  greatly  promoted  in  the  whole  flock,  by  their  fer- 
vent supplications ;  and  the  Spirit  of  grace  mightily 
poured  out  upon  the  rising  generation  ;  yea,  the  coun- 
try at  large  may  be  the  better  for  them. 

8.  The  society  may,  on  peculiar  occasions,  set  apart 
whole  days  for  fasting  and  prayer.  The  success  of 
such  days  has  been  sometimes  very  remarkable,  and  the 
savor  which  they  have  left  on  the  minds  of  those  who 
feave  engaged  in  them,  has  been  such,  as  greatly  to  pre- 
pare them  to  "show  forth  the  death  of  the  Lord,"  at 
Ins  holy  table ;  yea,  to  meet  their  own  death,  when 
God  has  been  pleased  to  appoint  it. 

9.  It  is  very  certain,  that  the  devotions  and  confer- 
ences carried  on  in  such  a  society,  will  not  only  have 
a  wonderful  tendency  to  produce  the  "comfort  of  love" 
in  the  hearts  of  good  men  towards  one  another ;  but 
&hat  their  ability  to  serve  many  valuable  interests  Yfill 
2l1j50  thereby  be  much  increased. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  01 


10.  Unexpected  opportunities  to  do  good  will  arise 
to  such  a  society;  and  especially  it'  such  a  plan  as  the 
following  were  adopted:  That  the  men,  who  compose 
the  society,  would  now  and  then  spend  half  an  hour  by 
themselves,  in  considering  that  question,  What  good 
is  (here  to  be  done  ?  More  particularly, 

AVho  are  to  be  called  upon  to  do  their  duty,  in  com- 
ing to  special  ordinances  ? 

Who  are,  in  any  peculiar  adversity ;  and  what  may 
be  done  to  comfort  them  ? 

"What  contention  or  variance  may  there  be  among 
any  of  our  neighbors ;  and  what  may  be  done  for  heal- 
ing it? 

AVhat  open  transgressions  do  any  live  in ;  and  who 
shall  be  desired  to  carry  faithful  admonitions  to  them  ? 

Finally :  What  is  there  to  be  done  for  the  advan- 
tage and  advancement  of  our  holy  religion  ? 

In  the  primitive  times  of  Christianity,  much  use  wag 
made  of  a  saying,  which  was  ascribed  to  Matthias  the 
apostle :  "If  the  neighbor  of  an  elect,  or  godly  maa 
s?in,  the  godly  man  himself  hath  also  sinned."  The  in- 
tention of  that  saying  was,  to  point  out  the  obligation  of 
neighbors  watchfully  to  admonish  one  another.  O  how 
much  may  christians,  associated  in  religious  societies, 
effect  by  watchful  and  faithful  admonitions,  to  i)revent 
their  being  "partakers  in  other  men's  sins."  The  man, 
who  shall  produce  and  promote  such  societies,  will  do 
an  incalculable  service  to  the  neighborhood. 

I  proceed  to  mention  another  sort  of  society ;  name* 
]y,  that  of  young  men  associated. 

Societies  of  this  description,  duly  managed,  and 
countenanced  by  the  pastor,  have  been  incomparable 
jiurseries  to  the  churches.  Young  men  are  hereby  \}re- 
served  from  very  many  teniptations,  rescued  from  the 


SS  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


*'path3  of  the  destroyer,"  confirmed  in  the  "right  ways 
of  the  Lord,"  aod  much  prepared  for  such  religious  ex- 
ercises as  will  be  expected  from  them,  when  they  shall 
themselves  become  householders. 

I  will  here  lay  before  the  reader,  some  orders  which 
have  been  observed  in  some  societies  of  this  nature. 

1.  Let  there  be  two  hours  at  a  time  get  apart  for  the 
purpose;  in  which,  let  two  prayers  be  offered  by  the 
members  in  rotation ;  and  between  the  prayers  let  there 
be  singing,  and  the  repetition  of  a  sermon. 

2.  Let  all  the  members  of  the  society  resolve  to  be 
charitably  watchful  over  one  another ;  never  to  di- 
vulge each  other's  infirmities;  always  to  give  informa- 
tion of  every  thing  v/bich  may  appear  to  call  for  ad- 
monition, and  to  take  it  kindly  whenever  it  is  given. 

3.  Let  all,  who  are  to  be  admitted  as  members  of 
the  society,  be  accompanied,  by  two  or  three  of  the 
rest,  to  the  minister  of  the  place,  that  they  may  re- 
ceive his  holy  counsel  and  directions,  and  that  every 
thing  may  be  done  with  his  approbation ;  after  which, 
let  their  names  be  added  to  the  rolL 

4.  If  any  person  thus  enrolled  among  them,  fall  into 
a  scandalous  iniquity,  let  the  rebukes  of  the  society  be 
dispensed  to  him ;  and  let  them  forbid  him  to  come 
among  them  any  more,  until  he  give  suitable  evidence 
of  repentance. 

5.  Let  the  list  be  once  a  quarter  called  over ;  and 
then,  if  it  appear  that  any  of  the  society  have  much 
absented  themselves,  let  some  of  the  members  be  sent 
to  inquire  the  reason  of  their  absence ;  and  if  no  rea- 
son be  given,  but  such  as  intimates  an  apostacy  from 
good  beginnings,  and  if  they  remain  obstinate,  let  them 
be  dismisstd,  with  kind  and  faithful  admonition?. 

<>.  Once  in  three  months,  let  there  be  a  coHection, 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  COOB.  83 

if  necessary,  out  of  which  the  unavoidable  expenses  of 
the  society  shall  be  defrayed,  and  the  rest  employed 
for  such  pious  purposes,  as  may  be  agreed  upon. 

7.  Once  in  two  months,  let  the  whole  time  be  de- 
Toted  to  supplications  for  the  conversion  and  salvation 
of  the  rising  generation  ;  and  particularly  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  gospel,  in  that  congregation  to  which  the 
society  belongs. 

8.  Let  the  whole  society  be  exceedingly  ^careful  that 
their  conversation,  while  they  are  together,  after  the 
other  services  of  religion  are  over,  have  nothing  in  it, 
that  may  have  any  taint  of  backbiting  or  vanity,  or 
the  least  relation  to  the  affairs  of  government,  or  to 
things  which  do  not  concern  them,  and  are  not  likely 
to  promote  their  advantage.     But  let  their  conversa- 
ition  be  wholly  on  matters  of  religion,  and  those  also, 
not  disputable  and  controversial  subjects,  but  points  of 
practical  piety.     For  this  purpose,  questions  may  he 
proposed,  on  which  every  one,  in  order,  may  deliver 
his  sentiments ;  or,  they  may  go  through  a  catechism. 
and  every  one,  in  rotation,  may  hear  all  the  rest  recit 
the  answers  ;  or  they  may  be  directed  by  their  pastor 
to  spend  their  time  profitably  in  some  other  manner, 

9.  Let  every  person  in  the  society  consider  it  as  . 
special  task  incumbent  on  him,  to  look  out  for  som? 
other  hopeful  young  man,  and  to  use  all  |)roper  meant. 
to  engage  him  in  the  resolutions  of  godliness,  until  he 
also  shall  be  united  to  the  society.  And  when  a  soci- 
ety shall  in  this  manner  be  increased  to  a  fit  number, 
let  it  use  its  influence  to  form  other  similar  societies, 
who  may  hold  a  useful  correspondence  with  each 
other. 

The  man  who  shall  be  the  instrument  of  establishing 
such  a  society  in  a  place,  cannot  comprehend  what  a 


S4  ESSAYS  TO  DO  G0033. 


long  and  rich  train  of  good  consequences  may  result 
from  his  labors.  And  they  who  shall  in  such  a  society 
carry  on  the  duties  of  religion,  and  sing  the  praises  of 
a  glorious  Christ,  will  have  in  themselves  a  blessed 
earnest  that  they  shall  be  associated  together  in  the 
heavenly  city,  and  in  the  blessedness  that  shall  never 
have  an  end. 


Proposals  io  the  Ministers  of  the  Gosfich 

Hitherto  my  discourse  has  been  a  more  general 
address  to  persons  of  all  conditions  and  capacities.  I 
have  proposed  a  few  devices,  but  those  which  are 
equally  applicable  to  private  persons,  as  to  others. 
We  will  now  proceed  to  address  those  who  are  in  a 
more  'public  situation.  And  because  no  men  in  the 
world  are  under  such  obligations  to  do  good  as  the 
Ministers  of  the  Gospel ^  "it  is  necessary  that  the  word 
of  God  should  be  tirst  spoken  unto  them."  I  trust, 
therefore,  my  fathers  and  brethren  in  the  ministry  will 
"suffer  the  word  of  exhortation."' 

It  must  be  admitted,  that  they  who  are  "men  of 
God"  should  be  always  at  nork  for  God.  Certainly, 
they  who  are  dedicated  to  the  special  service  of  the 
Lord,  should  never  be  satisfied,  but  when  they  are  in 
the  most  sensible  manner  serving  him.  Certainly, 
they  whom  the  great  King  has  brought  nearer  to  him- 
self than  other  men,  should  be  more  unwearied  than 
others,    in  endeavoring   to   advance  his  kingdom. — 


ESSAYS  TO  t)6  r00D»  S5 

They,  whom  the  word  of  God  calls  angels,  ojght  cer- 
lauily  to  be  of  an  angelical  dispcsition  ;  always  dispos- 
ed to  do  good,  like  the  good  angels; — ministers  ever^ 
on  the  wing  to  "  do  his  pleasure."  It  is  no  improper 
proposal,  that  they  would  seriously  set  themselves  to 
think,  "What  are  the  points  wherein  I  should  be  wise 
and  do  good,  like  an  angel  of  God  ?  Or,  if  an  angel 
were  in  the  flesh,  as  I  am,  and  in  such  a  post  as  mine, 
what  methods  may  I  justly  imagine  that  he  would  use 
to  glorify  God  ?  What  wonderful  offices  of  kiudnes> 
would  the  good  angels  cheerfully  perform  for  such 
their  "fellow  servants  T' 

We  must  call  upon  our  people,  "to  be  ready  to  eve- 
ry good  work."  We  must  go  before  them  in  it,  and 
by  our  own  readiaess  at  every  good  work,  show  them 
the  manner  of  performing  it.  *'Timothy,"  said  the 
apostle,  *'be  thou  an  example  of  the  believers."  It  is 
a  true  maxim,  and  you  cannot  think  of  it  too  fre- 
quently; "the  life  of  a  minister  is  the  life  of  his  minis- 
try." There  is  also  another  maxim  of  the  same  kind ; 
"the  sins  of  teachers  are  the  teachers  of  sins." 

Allow  me,  sirs,  to  say,  that  your  oppoituaities  to  do 
good  are  singular.  Your  want  of  worldly  richee,  and 
generally  of  any  means  of  obtaining  them,  is  compen- 
sated by  those  opportunities  to  do  good,  with  which 
you  are  enriched.  The  true  spirit  of  a  minister  will 
cause  you  to  consider  yourselves  enriched,  when  those 
precious  things  are  conferred  upon  you,  and  to  prize 
them  above  lands,  or  money,  or  any  temporal  possess- 
ions whatever.  "Let  me  abound  in  good  works,  and  I* 
care  not  who  abounds  in  riches."*  Well  said,  brave 
BJelancthon ! 


*  In  opei-ibus  sit  abundantia  tnea;  div-tiis  per  nie  lleit, 
abundet,  qulaquis  volu«rit. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOODi 


It  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  main  principle  which  ac- 
tuated you,  ^vhen  you  first  entered  upon  the  evangel- 
ical ministry,  was  a  desire  to  do  good  in  the  Nvorld. 
If  thit  principle  was  then  too  feebJe  in  its  operation, 
it  is  time  that  it  should  now  act  more  vigorously,  and 
that  a  zeal  for  doing  good  should  now  "eat  up"  your 
time,  your  thoughts,  your  alh 

That  you  may  be  good  men,  and  be  mightily  in- 
spired and  assisted  from  Heaven  lo  do  good,  it  is 
needful  that  you  should  be  7nen  of  jiTayer.  This,  my 
first  request,  I  suppose  to  be  fully  admitted.  In  pur- 
suance of  this  intention,  it  apjiears  very  necessary 
that  you  should  occasionally  set  apart  Avhole  days  for 
secret  prayer  and  fasting,  and  thus  perfume  your  stu' 
dies  with  extraordinary  devotions:  such  exercises 
may  be  also  properly  accompanied  witii  the  giving  of 
alms,  to  go  up  as  a  memorial  before  the  Lord.  By 
these  means,  you  ui'iy  obtain,  together  with  the  par- 
don of  your  unfruitfulness,  (for  which,  alas!  we  have 
such  frequent  occasion  to  apply  to  tbe  great  Sacrifice) 
a  wonderful  improvement  in  piety  and  sanctity  ;  the 
vast  impo.'tanoe  of  which,  to  form  a  useful  minister, 
none  can  de^rrihe!  "Sanctify  ih^m  in  (or  for)  thy 
truth,"  said  our  Savior.  They  should  be  sanctified^ 
ivho  would  become  instruments  for  the  pro))agation  of 
the  truth.  You  may  obtain,  by  prayer,  such  an  iuHu- 
ence  from  Heaven  upon  your  minds,  and  such  an  in- 
dvv'elling  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  vnW  render  your  grave, 
tliscreet,  humble,  generous,  and  worthy  to  be  "g^-eatly 
beloved."  You  may  obtain  those  infiueaces  from  above 
that  will  dispel  the  ecchantments,  and  conquer  the 
temptstioas  which  might  otherwise  do  much  mischief 
ia  your  neighborhood.  You  may  obtain  direction  and 
aJsistaoce  f^r  the  many  services  requisite  to  be  per- 


ESSAYS  TO  PO  GOOD.  "7 

formed,  in  the  discharge  of  your  ministry.  Finally, 
you  may  fetch  down  unknown  blessings  on  yoar  flocks, 
and  on  the  peojile  at  large,  for  whom  you  are  to  be 
the  Lord's  remembrancers. 

Your  public  prayers,  if  suitably  composed,  will  be 
excellent  engines  to  "do  good."  The  more  judicious, 
the  more  affectionate,  tiie  more  argumentative  youarfj 
in  them,  the  more  you  will  teach  your  people  to  pray. 
And  I  would  a^:ic,  how  can  you  prosecute  any  inten- 
tion of  piety  among  your  people  more  eSectualry,  than 
by  letting  them  see  yon  praying,  weeping,  striving, 
and  in  an  importunate  agony  before  the  Lord,  in  order 
to  obtain  tlie  blessing  for  them?  The  more  appropri- 
ately you  represent  the  various  cases  of  yoar  people  in 
your  public  prayers,  the  more  devoutly  sensible  you 
will  make  them  of  their  own  cases;  aad  by  this  means 
the}'-  will  obtain  m)ich  consolation.  The  prayers  you 
offer  at  baptisms  may  be  io  managed  as  greatly  to 
av.aken  in  the  minds  of  ail  present,  a  sense  of  thei;' 
baptismal  obiigations.  What  effusions  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  may  your  people  experience,  if  your  prayers  at 
the  table  of  the  Lord,  should  be  sacli  as  Nazianzen 
describes  his  father's  to  have  been; — "made  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  God." 

Your  sermons,  if  they  be  well  studied,  as  they  oughi 
to  be,  from  the  consideration  of  their  being  offerings 
to  God,  as  well  as  to  his  people,  will  "do  good"  beyond 
all  expression.  The  manner  of  your  studying  them 
may  very  much  contribute  to  their  usefulness.  It  1=^ 
necessary  that  you  carefully  con?ider  the  state  of  your 
flocks;  and  bring  them  such  truths,  as  will  best  suit 
their  present  circunistauces.  In  order  to  this  you  will 
observe  their  condition,  their  fault?,  their  snares,  and 
their  griefs;  that  you  may  '-speak  a  word  in  season  ;" 


88  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


and  that,  if  any  remarkable  providence  occur  among 
your  people,  you  may  make  a  suitable  improvement 
of  it.  It  will  be  useful  to  consider  the  different  ages 
and  circumstances  of  your  people,  and  what  lessons  of 
piety  may  be  inculcated  on  each ;  what  exhortations 
should  be  given  to  the  communicants,  to  those  who 
are  under  the  bonds  of  the  covenant;  what  advice 
iihould  he  addressed  to  the  aged ;  what  admonitions  to 
the  poor,  to  the  rich,  to  the  worldly,  and  to  those  who 
are  in  public  situations  ;  what  consolations  should  be  af- 
forded to  the  afflicted;  and  what  instruction  may  be 
necessary,  with  respect  to  the  personal  callings  of  your 
hearers.  Above  all,  the  young  must  not  be  forgot- 
ten :  you  will  employ  all  possible  means  to  cultivate 
early  piety.  Yea,  you  may  do  well  to  make  it  under- 
stood, that  you  v/ould  willingly  be  informed,  by  any 
persons  or  societies  In  your  flocks,  what  subjects  they 
may  wish  to  hear  explained.  By  giving  them  ser- 
mons on  such  suljects,  you  will  at  least  very  much 
edify  those  who  requested  them ;  and  it  is  piobable^ 
many  other  persons  besides. 

In  studying  your  sermons,  it  might  be  profitable  at 
the  close  of  every  paragraph,  to  pause,  and  endeavor, 
with  ejaculations  to  Heaven  and  self-examination,  to 
feel  some  impression  of  the  truths  contained  in  that 
paragraph  on  your  own  mind,  before  you  proceed  any 
farther.  By  such  a  practice,  the  hours  which  you 
spend  in  composing  a  sermon,  will  prove  to  you  so 
many  hours  of  devotion;  the  day  in  which  you  have 
made  a  sermon,  will  even  leave  upon  your  mind  such 
a  savor  as  a  day  of  prayer  commonly  does.  When 
you  come  to  preach  the  sermon,  you  will  do  it  with 
great  liberty  and  assurance ;  and  the  truths  thus  pre- 
pared  will  be   likely   to  come  with  more  sensible 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.'  89 


warmth  and  life  upon  the  auditory ; — from  the  heart, 
and  to  the  heart !  A  famous  preacher  used  to  say,  *'I 
never  dare  to  preach  a  sermon  to  others,  till  I  have 
first  got  some  good  by  it  mysehV  And  I  will  add, 
that  such  a  method  is  most  likely  to  render  it  useful 
to  others.  Let  the  saying  of  the  ancients  be  remen> 
bered:  "He  that  trifles  in  the  pulpit  shall  weep  ia 
hell;''*  and  the  modern  saying,  *'cold  preachers  make 
bold  sinners." 

How  much  good  may  be  done,  sirs,  by  your  visits  t 
It  would  be  well  for  you  to  impose  it  as  a  law  upon 
yourselves;  "never  to  make  an  unproiitable  visit." 
Even  when  you  pay  a  visit  merely  for  the  sake  of  ci- 
vility or  entertainment,  it  would  be  easy  for  you  to 
observe  this  law ;  "that  you  will  dope  some  sentence 
or  other,  which  may  be  good  for  the  use  of  edifying, 
before  you  leave  the  company."  There  have  beea 
pastors  who  have  been  able  to  say,  that  they  scarce 
ever  went  into  a  house  among  their  people,  without 
gome  essay  to  do  good  in  the  house  before  they  left  it* 

The  same  rule  might  properly  be  observed  with 
2uch  as  come  to  us,  aa  well  as  vrhh  those  whom  we 
visit.  Why  should  any  of  our  people  ever  come  near 
us,  without  our  contriving  to  speak  something  to  them 
that  may  be  for  their  advantage  i  Peter  Martyr  having 
spent  many  days  in  Bucer's  house,  published  this  re- 
port of  his  visit ;  *'I  can  truly  affirm,  that  I  never  left 
his  table,  without  some  addition  to  my  knowledge  !"| 
I  make  no  doubt  that  the  observation  of  this  rule 
may  be  very  consistent  with  an  affable,  and,  as  far 
as  is  suitable,  a  facetious  conversation.     But  let  it  be- 

*  Qui  ludit  in  cathedra,  lug'ebit  in  gehenna, 
t  Ausim  affirraare,  Tn§  ab  iiliua  iiisnsa,  senopcr  disces« 
lliSS  doctiorem; 

Ji2. 


to  ESsATd  TO   D©  GOOCJ 


remembered,  that,  "What  are  but  jests  in  the  moutl^ 
«^f  the  people,  are  blasphemies  in  the  mouth  of  the 
priest."* 

But,  Sirs,  in  your  visit?  you  will  take  a  particular 
notice  of  the  widow,  the  orpha;i,  and  the  affiicted,  and 
afford  them  all  possible  relief.  The  bills  put  up  ii& 
jour  congregation  will,  in  some  measure,  assist  you 
to  find  out  who  need  your  visits. 

When  any  peculiar  calamity  hath  befallen  any  one, 
it  is  a  suitable  time  to  visit  such  a  person,  to  direct 
and  persuade  him  to  hear  the  voice  of  God  in  the  ca^ 
lamity,  and  to  comply  with  the  intent  and  errand  up- 
on which  it  comes.  Another  very  proper  time  for  & 
visit  is,  when  any  special  deliverance  has  been  receiv- 
ed. Those  who  have  been  thus  favored  should  he  suh 
monished  to  contrive  some  remarkable  manner  io 
which  they  may  express  their  thankfulness  for  the  de. 
liverance :  nor  should  you  leave  them,  until  such  a  de- 
termination be  made.  The  handmaids  of  the  Lord, 
\\ho  are  near  the  hour  of  difficulty  and  danger,  may  ou 
this  account  be  very  proper  objects  for  your  visits. 
At  such  a  time  they  are  in  much  distress;  the  ap- 
proaching hour  of  trouble  threatens  to  be  their  dying 
hour.  The  counsels  that  shall  exactly  instruct  them 
how  to  prepare  for  a  dying  hour,  will  now,  if  ever,  be 
attentively  heard  :  anil  there  are  precious  promises  of 
God,  upon  which  they  should  also  now  be  taught  (o 
live.  To  bring  them  these  promises  will  be  the  work 
©f  a  "good  angel,"  and  will  cause  you  to  be  welcomed 
by  them  as  such. 

Catechising  is  a  noble  excerciae  ;  it  will  insensibly^ 
bring  you  into  a  way  "to  do  good,"  that  surpasses  all 


*  Qi;ae  sunt  in  ore  populi  nugae,  sunt  in  ore  5%f«rdc>tb 
blasphemij?. 


ESSAYS    TO   DO  GOOD.  Qt 


expression.  Your  sermons  will  be  very  much  lost  up- 
on an  uncatechised  people.  Nor  will  your  people  mind 
so  much  what  you  address  to  them  from  the  pulpit,  a* 
what  you  speak  to  them  in  the  more  condescending 
and  familiar  way  of  applying  the  answers  of  the  cate- 
chism. Never  did  any  minister  repent  of  his  labor  ia 
catechising  ;  thousands  have  blessed  God  for  the  won- 
derful  success  which  has  attended  it.  The  most  hon* 
orable  man  of  God  should  consider  it  no  abasement  or 
abatement  of  his  honor,  to  stoop  to  this  way  of  teach- 
ing. Yea,  some  eminent  pastors  in  their  old  age, 
when  other  labors  have  been  too  hard  for  them,  have, 
like  the  famous  old  Gerson,  wholly  given  themselves 
up  to  catechising ;  though  there  have  been  others,  of 
whom  that  renowned  chancellos  of  Paris,  in  his  trea- 
tise, *'of  bringing  children  to  Christ,"*  makes  a  sad 
complaint;  "in  the  opinion  of  many,  it  would  be  de- 
grading for  our  divines,  or  literary  characters,  or  dig- 
nitaries in  the  church,  to  apply  themselves  to  this  kind 
of  work.'  t 

Those  pastors  who  so  love  a  glorious  Christ  as  to  re- 
gard his  word,  "Feed  my  lambs,"  will  vary  their  me- 
thods of  carrying /on  this  exercise,  according  to  parti- 
cular circumstaMes.  Some  have  chosen  the  way  of 
pastoral  visits ;  and  from  the  memorials  of  one  who 
long  since  did  so,  and  afterwards  left  his  advice  to  his 
son  upon  this  Bubject,  I  will  tfanscribe  the  following 
passages : 


*  De  pueris  ad  Chrif-tuTn  trahendis. 

f  Adeo  jam  indjfynum  videtur  apud  multos,  si  quis  ei 
theologis,  aut  famatus  in  literis,  vel  ecclesiastics  oigniU»« 
|>r«ditos,  a'vi  hoc  opu^  se  iugUnav«nt, 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  CiOOl?. 


Directions  fer  Pastoral  Visits. 

You  may  resolve  to  visit  all  the  families  belonging 
to  your  congregation ;  taking  one  afternoon  in  a  week 
for  that  purpose  :  and  it  may  be  proper  to  give  previ* 
©us  notice  to  each  family,  that  yo{\  intend  at  such  a 
time  to  visit  them.  On  visiting  a  family,  you  may 
endeavor,  with  addresses  as  forcible  and  respectful  aa 
possible,  to  treat  with  every  person  particularly  about 
their  everlasting  interests. 

first,  you  may  discourse  with  the  elder  people  up- 
on such  points  as  you  think  most  i>roper  with  them. 
Especially  charge  them  to  maintain  family-prayer  ; 
and  obtain  their  promise  of  establishing  it,  if  it  has 
been  hitherto  neglected ;  yea,  pray  with  them,  that 
yoa  may  shew  them  how  to  pray,  as  well  as  obtain 
their  purposes  for  it.  You  may  likewise  press  upon 
them  the  care  of  instructing  their  children  and  ser- 
vants io  the  holy  religion  of  our  Savior,  to  bring 
them  up  for  him. 

If  any  with  whom  you  should  have  spoken  are  ab- 
sent, you  may  frequently  leave  one  or  two  solemn 
texts  of  the  sacred  scripture,  which  you  may  think 
most  suitable  for  them ;  desiring  some  one  present  af- 
fectionately to  remember  you  to  them,  and  from  you 
to  recommend  to  them  that  oracle  of  God. 

You  may  then  call  for  the  children  and  servants ; 
and  putting  to  them  such  questions  of  the  catechism 
as  you  think  fit,  you  may,  from  the  answers,  make 
lively  applications  to  them,  for  engaging  them  to  the 
fear  of  God.    You  may  frequejatly  obteiia  from  theis: 


ESSA.YS  TO  DO  GOOD.  93 


promises  relating  to  secret  prayer,  readini^  of  the 
scriptures,  and  obedience  to  their  parents  and  mas- 
ters. You  may  also  IVequently  set  before  them  the 
proposals  of  the  new  covenant,  after  you  have  labor- 
ed for  their  conviction  and  awakening; ;  till  with  tloods 
of  tears,  they  expressly  declare  their  consent  to  it, 
and  their  acceptance  of  if. 

Some  of  the  younsjer  people  you  may  order  to  bring 
(heir  Bibles,  and  read  to  you  from  thence  two  or  three 
verses,  to  which  you  may  direct  them :  this  will  try, 
whether  or  not  they  can  read  well.  You  may  tJie'i 
encourage  them  to  think  on  such  things  as  you  remark 
from  the  passage,  and  never  to  forget  those  "faithful 
sayings"  of  God.  You  may  sometimes  leave  with 
them  some  serious  question,  which  you  may  tell  them 
they  shall  not  answer  to  you,  but  to  themselves;  such 
as  the  following  :  "What  have  I  been  doing  ever  since 
I  came  into  the  world,  about  the  great  errand  upoQ 
which  God  sent  me  into  the  world  ?'*  "If  God  should 
now  call  me  out  of  the  world,  what  would  become  of 
me  throughout  eternal  ages  ?"  "Have  I  ever  yet  by 
faith  carried  a  perishing  soul  to  my  only  Savior,  both 
for  righteousness  and  salvation  ?"' 

i  ou  will  enjoy  a  most  wonderful  presence  of  God 
with  you,  in  this  undertaking  ;  and  will  seldom  leave 
a  family  wiihout  having  observed  many  tears  of  devo- 
tion shed  by  all  sorts  of  persons  in  it.  As  you  can  sel- 
dom visit  more  than  four  or  five  families  in  au  after- 
noon, the  \\ork  may  be  as  laborious  as  any  part  of 
your  ministry. 

My  son,  I  advise  you  to  set  a  special  value  on  that 
part  of  your  ministry,  which  is  to  be  discharged  in 
pastoral  visits.  You  will  not  only  do  good,  but  also 
^et  good,  by  your  conversation  with  all  sorts  of  per-' 


94'  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

sons,  in  thus  visiting  them  "from  house  to  house.^^ 
And  you  will  never  more  "walk  in  the  Spirit,"  than 
when  you  thus  walk  among  yonr  fiock,  to  do  what  good 
you  can  amongst  them. 

In  j^our  visits  an  incredible  deal  of  good  may  be 
done,  by  distributing  little  books  of  piety.  You  may, 
•without  much  expense,  be  furnished  with  such  books 
to  suit  all  persons  and  circumstances :  books  for  the 
old  and  for  the  young — for  persons  under  aiSictions  or 
desertions — for  persons  who  are  under  the  power  of 
particular  vices' — for  those  who  neglect  domestic  reli- 
gion— for  sea-faring  persons— -for  the  erroneous — for 
those  whom  you  v.ould  quicken  and  prepare  to  ap- 
proach the  table  of  the  Lord — for  those  who  are  about 
to  have  their  children  baptised :  and  catechisms  for 
the  ignorant.  You  may  remarkably  enforce  your  ad- 
monitions, by  leaving  suitable  books  in  the  hands  of 
those  with  whom  you  have  conversed  ;  you  may  give 
them  to  understand,  that  you  would  be  still  considered 
as  conversing  with  them  by  these  books,  after  you 
h!\ve  left  theai.  And  in  this  way  you  may  speak  more 
than  you  have  time  to  do  in  any  personal  interview; 
yea,  sometimes,  more  than  you  would  wish  to  do. 
By  good  books  a  salt  of  piety  is  scattered  about  a 
neighborhood.* 

Pastors,  uphold  and  cherish  good  schools  in  your 
towns !  And  be  prevailed  upon  occasionally  to  visit 
the  schools.  That  holy  man,  Mr.  Thoaias  White, 
expressed  a  desire,  "T-tat  able  and  zealovs  ministers 
would    sometimes   preach   at    the    scliooL ;    because 


*  A  few  years  asj^o  a  society  was  esabiished  In  London, 
enUlled,  "  Thf  Religious  Tract  Socte'y,"  by  whom  a  g.';  at 
number  and  variety  of  tracts  huve  been  published,  and  al  sl 
very  cheap  rate.  These  productions  are  very  liappily  adapU 
ed  to  the  pious  purpose  proposed  by  ourauUior. 


ES3AVS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


j>reachin^  is  the  converting  ordinance ;  and  the  chil- 
dren will  ha  obliged  to  hear  with  more  atteiition   in 
the  school  than  in  the  public  congregation  ;  and   the 
ministers  might  here  condescend  to  such  expressions 
as  might  work  most  upon  them,  and  yet  not  be  so  fit 
for  a  public  congregation."    I  have  read  the  following 
account  of  one,  who  was  awakened  by  this  advice  to 
act  accordingly  :  "At  certain  times  he  successively 
visited  the  scliools.     When  he  went  to  a  school,  lie 
first  offered  a  prayer  for  the  children,  as  much  adapt- 
ed to  their  condition,  as  he  could  make  it.     Then  he 
went  through  the  catechism,  or  as  much  of  it  as  he 
thought   necessary ;  m^<king  the  several  children  re- 
peat the  several  answers  ;  but  he  divided  the  questions, 
that  every  article  in  the  answers  might  be  understood 
by  them ;  expecting  them  to  answer,  Yes,  or  No,  to 
each  of  these  divisions.     He   also    put  to  them  such 
quesliors,  as  would  make  them  see  ond  own  their  du- 
ties, and  often  express  a  resolution  to   perform  them. 
Then  he  preached  a  short  sermon  to  them,  exceeding- 
ly plain,  on  some  suitable  scripture,  with  all  possible 
ingenuity  and  earnestness,  in  order  to  excite  tlicir  at- 
tentive regard.     After  this,  he  singled  out  a  number 
of  scholars,  perh?ps  eight  or  ten,  and  bid  each  of  them 
turn  to  a  certain  scripture,  which  he  made  them  read 
lo  the  whole  school ;  giving  them  to  see,  by  his  brief 
remarks  upon  it,  that  it  contained  sotnething  which  it 
particularly   concerned   children    to  take    notice    of. 
Then  he  concluded  with  a  short  prayer,  for  a  blessing 
on  the  school  and  on  the  tutors." 

While  we  are  upon  the  subject  of  visiting,  I  wonld 
observe  th:>tyou  wiil  not  fdil  to  visit  the  poor  as  wel! 
as  the  rich  ;  and  often  mention  the  condition  of  tlie 
poor,  in  your  couversatica  with  the  rich.     Keep,  Sir^ 


m^  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOODv 

?»  list  of  them^  R  rcoHect  that  although  the  -witld  doP3 
not  feed  any  one,  yet  that  it  turns  the  mill  which 
grinds  the  corn,  the  food  of  the  poor.  When  convers- 
ing with  the  rich,  you  may  do  this  for  the  poor  who 
are  on  your  list. 

In  visiting  the  poor,  you  will  take  occasion  to  dis- 
pense your  alms  among  ihem.  These  alms,  you  will, 
with  as  much  contrivance  as  possihle,  w?e  as  vehicles 
for  conveying  to  them  the  admoniiions  of  piety  ^  yea, 
means  and  instruments  of  obtaining  from  them  some 
engagements  to  perform  certain  exercises  of  piety. 
All  ministers  are  not  alike  furnished  for  alms.,  but  all 
should  be  disposed  for  them.  They  that  have  small 
families,  or  large  interests,  ought  to  be  shining  exam- 
ples of  liberality  to  the  poor,  and  pour  down  their  alms 
upon  them,  like  the  showers  of  heaven..  All  should 
endeavor  to  do  what  they  can  in  this  way.  What  ^ays 
Nazianzan  of  his  reverend  father's  alms-deeds  ?  They 
will  find  that  the  more  they  do  (provided  it  be  done 
with  discretion)  the  more  they  are  able  to  do :  the 
loaves  will  multiply  in  the  distribution.  Sirs,  this 
bounty  of  yours  to  the  pooi  will  procure  a  wonderful 
esteem  and  success  to  you-  ministry;  "Suadet  lingua, 
jubet  vita."  It  will  be  aii  irrefragable  demonstration 
that  you  believe  wliit  you  speak  concerning  all  the 
duties  of  christiasiity,  but  particularly  those  of  liberal- 
ity, a  faithful  discharge  of  our  stewardship,  and  a  mind 
weaned  frOm  the  love  of  this  world  ;  it  will  demonstrate 
your  belief  of  a  future  state ;  it  will  vindicate  you  from 
the  imputation  of  a  worldly  man ;  it  will  embolden 
and  fortify  yoii,  whien  you  call  upon  others  to  do  good, 
and  to  abound  in  those  sacrifices  with  t\'hich  God  is 
well  pleased.     Et  sic  exehipla  parantur  ! 

You  will  do  well  to  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  the 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD,  St 


dhorJers  wliich  may  arise  and  increase  in  your  neigh- 
borhood^ Among  other  ways  of  suppressing  these 
things,  you  may  form  societies  for  this  purjiose  :  obtain 
a  fit  number  of  prudent,  pious,  well-disposed  men,  to  as- 
sociate with  this  intention,  and  employ  their  discretion 
and  activity,  for  your  assistance  in  these  holy  purposes. 

One  of  the  rules  given  for  the  minister  is,  "give 
thyself  to  reading."  Sirs,  let  Gregory's  Pastoral  and 
Bowie's  Pastor  Evangelicus,  form  part  of  your  read- 
ing. Also,  if  you  read  Church  History  much,  par 
ticularly  the  Prudentia  Veteris  Ecclesiae,  written  by 
Vedelius,  together  with  the  lives  of  both  ancient  and 
modern  divines,  you  will  frequently  find  "methods  to 
do  good"  exemplified.  You  will  then  consider  how  far 
you  may  "go  and  do  likewise  " 

How  serviceable  may  ministers  be  to  one  another, 
and  to  all  the  churches,  in  their  several  associations. 
Indeed,  it  is  a  pity  that  there  should  ever  be  the  least 
occasional  "meeting  of  ministers,'*  without  some  use^ 
iu\  thing  proposed  in  it. 

Nero  took  it  very  ill,  that  Vespasian  slept  at  his 
music :  It  is  very  much  to  be  wished  that  the  sin  of 
sleeping  at  sermons  were  more  guarded  against  and 
reproved  in  your  sleepy  hearers ;  if  indeed  it  is  prop- 
er to  call  those  hearers  who  miserably  loose  the  good 
of  your  ministry,  and  perhaps  the  good  which  you 
might  have  particularly  designed  for  them.  Will  no 
vinegar  help  against  the  narcotics  that  Satan  has  giv- 
en to  your  poor  Eutychuses  ?  or  cannot  you  bring  that 
civility  into  fashion  among  your  hearers,  to  wake  one 
another  ? 

Finally,  After  all  the  generous  essays  and  labors  to 
do  good  that  may  fill  your  lives,  your  people  will  pro- 
bably treat  you  with  ingratitude.    Your  salaries  will 


98  ESSAY3  TO  DO  GOOD. 

be  meaner  than  those  at  Geneva.  They  will  neglect 
you ;  they  will  oppress  you  ;  they  will  withhold  from 
you  what  they  have  engaged,  and  you  have  expected. 
You  have  now  one  more  opportunity  to  do  good,  and 
so  to  glorify  your  Savior.  Your  patience,  O  ye  tried 
servants  of  God,  your  palienc©  will  do  it  wonderfully  I 
To  "bear  evil"  is  to  *'do  good."  The  more  patient 
you  are  under  ill  usage,  the  more  you  exhibit  a  glori- 
ous Christ  to  your  people,  in  your  conformity  to  your 
adorable  Savior.  The  more  conformed  you  are  to  him, 
the  more  prepared  you  are,  perhaps,  for  some  amend- 
ment of  your  condition  in  this  world,  most  certainly 
for  the  rewards  of  the  heavenly  world, when  you  shall 
appear  before  the  Lord,  who  says,  "1  know  tby  vv^orks 
and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith,  and  tby  patience." 
It  was  said  of  Ignatius,  "that  he  carried  Christ  a- 
bout  with  him  in  his  heart:*'  and  this  I  will  say,  if 
to  represent  a  glorious  Christ  to  the  view ;  the  love  and 
the  admiration  of  all  people  b©  the  grand  intention  of 
your  life ;  if  you  are  desirous  to  be  a  star  to  lead  men 
to  Christ;  if  you  are  exquisitely  studious,  that  the  ho- 
liness and  yet  the  gentleness  of  a  glorious  Christ  may 
shine  in  your  conversation ;  if  in  your  public  discours- 
es 3'ou  do  with  rapture  bring  in  the  mention  of  a  glo- 
rious Christ  in  every  paragraph,  and  on  every  occa- 
sion where  he  is  to  be  spoken  of;  and  if  in  your  pri- 
vate conversation  you  contrive  to  insinuate  something 
of  his  glories  and  praises,  wherever  it  may  be  decent- 
ly introduced  ;  finally,  if  when  you  find  that  a  glorious 
Christ  is  the  more  considered  and  acknowledged  by 
your  means,  it  fills  you  with  "joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory,"  and  you  excleim,  "Lord,  this  is  my  desired 
happiness  I"  Truly, you  then  live  to  good  purpose,  you 
*'do  good"  emphatically ! 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  39 


There  was  a  -worthy  minister,  whom  the  great  Cran- 
mer  designed  for  preferment,  and  he  gave  this  reason 
of  his  design — "He  seeks  nothing,  he  longs  for  nothing, 
he  dreams  about  nothing,  but  Jesus  Christ."*  Verily, 
such  "men  of  Ciirist"  are  'Unen  of  God  ;*'  they  are  the 
favorites  of  Heaven,  and  shall  be  favored  with  oppor- 
tunities to  do  good  above  any  men  in  the  worhl :  Ihey 
are  the  men  whom  the  King  of  heaven  will  delight  to 
honor,  and  they  are  the  Gaons  of  Christianity. 

If  I  reserve  oae  thing  to  be  mentioned  n^ier  finally* 
it  is  because  I  doubt  whether  it  ought  to  be  mentioned 
at  all.  In  stjme  Reformed  Churches  they  do  not  per- 
mit a  minister  of  the  gospel  to  practise  as  a  physician, 
because  either  of  these  callings  is  generally  sufficient 
to  employ  him  who  faithfully  follows  it :  but,  the 
priests  of  old,  who  preserved  in  the  archives  of  their 
temples  the  records  of  the  cures  v/hicli  had  been  thank- 
fully acknowledged  there,  communicated  from  thence 
directions  for  cures  in  similar  cases  atiiang  their  neigh- 
bors. Nor  has  it  been  uncommon  in  later  ages  for 
clergymen  to  be  physicians.  Not  only  such  monks  as 
Aegidius  Atheniensis  and  Constantius  Afer,  bat  bi- 
shops, as  Bochelt  and  Albicus,  have  appeared  in  that 
character.  Thus  Mr.  Herbert  advises  that  his  "coun- 
try minister,"  (or  at  least  his  wife)  should  be  a  kind  of 
physician  to  the  ilock;  and  we  have  known  many  a 
country  minister  prove  a  great  blessing  to  his  flock  by 
being  such.  If  a  minister  attempt  this,  let  him  al- 
ways make  it  a  means  of  doing  spiritual  good  to  his 
people.  It  is  an  angelical  conjunction,  when  the  min- 
isters  of  Christ,  who  do  his  pleasure,  become  also  phy- 
sicians and  Ra[)haels  to  their  people.     In  a  more  po° 


*  Nihil  appetit,  nihil  ardet,  nihil  soraniat,   nisi  Jesum 
Christum.' 


jlOO  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GGOB. 


pulous  town,  however,  you  will  probably  choose  ra- 
Iher  to  procure  some  religious  and  accomplished  phy- 
sician to  settle  in  your  neighborhood,  and  make  medi- 
cal studies  only  your  recreation  ;  yet  with  a  design  to 
communicate  to  your  Luke  whatever  you  meet  with 
•worth  his  notice,  and  at  times  unite  your  counsels 
^ith  him  for  the  good  of  his  patients.  Thus  you  may 
save  the  lives  of  many  persona,  who  themselves  may 
know  nothing  of  yoar  care  for  them-. 


The  duiies  of  Schoolmasters, 

Fhom  the  tribe  of  Levi,  let  us  proceed  with  our  pro- 
posals to  the  tribe  of  Simeon  ;  from  which  there  has 
been  a  frequent  ascent  to  the  former.  The  SchoQl- 
master  has  many  opportunities  of  doing  good.  God 
make  him  sensible  of  his  obligations  I  We  read,  that 
*'the  little  ones  have  their  angels."  It  is  hard  w^ork 
to  keep  a  school  ;  but  it  is  God's  work,  and  it  may  be 
so  managed  as  to  be  like  the  v^ork  of  angels  :  the  tu- 
tors of  the  children  may  be  like  their  "tutelar  angels." 
Melchior  Adams  properlj'^  styled  it  "An  ofSce  most 
laborious,  yet  to  God  most  pleasing."* 

Tutors !  wiK  you  not  regard  tlie  children  Under 
your  wing,  as  committed  to  you  by  the  glorious  *Lord 
with  such  a  charge  as  this  ?  "Take  them,  and  bring 

*  Molestisshnam^  sedDeo  longe  gratissimam  fuQctioneiSa 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD*  101 


tiiem  up  for  me,  and  I  will  pay  you  your  wages !" 
Whenever  a  new  scholar  comes  under  your  care,  you 
may  say,  "Here,  my  Lord  sends  me  another  object, 
for  whom  I  may  do  something,  that  he  may  be  useful 
in  the  world."  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  you, 
and  consider  what  you  may  do,  iustrumentally,  that 
of  such  may  be  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Sirs,  let  it  be  your  grand  design,  to  instil  into  their 
minds  the  documents  of  piety.  Consider  it  as  their 
chief  interest,  and  j'ours  also,  that  they  may  so  know 
the  holy  scriptures  as  to  become  wise  to  salvation. 
Embrace  every  opportunity  of  dropping  some  honey 
from  the  rock  upon  them.  Happy  the  children,  and 
as  happy  th'^  master,  where  they  who  relate  the  hlsto- 
ly  of  their  conversion  may  say,  *'tiiere  was  a  school- 
master who  brought  us  to  Christ."  You  have  been 
told,  "certainly,  it  is  a  nobler  work  tc  make  the  little 
ones  know  their  Savior,  than  know  their  letters.  The 
lessons  of  Jesus  are  nobler  things  than  the  lessons  of 
Cato.  The  sanctifying  transformation  of  their  souls 
would  be  in&iiitely  preferable  to  any  thing  in  Ovid's 
Metamorphoses." 

Catechising  should  be  Sificquent,  at  least  a  ne&ldy 
€:sercise  in  the  school ;  and  ii  should  be  conducted  in 
the  most  editying,  appllcatory,  and  admonitory  man- 
ner.  In  some  places  the  magistrate  permits  no  person 
to  keep  a  school,  unless  he  produces  a  testimonial  of 
his  ability  and  disposition  to  perform  the  work  of  rdi- 
gious  catechising.* 

Dr.  Reynolds,  in  a  funeral  sern^on'  for  an  eminent 
schoolmaster,  has  the  following  passage,  worthy  to  be 


*  Aptitudinis  ad  munus  illud  imprimis  pu^roruoi  c»t€«iii- 
12. 


102  BssATs  TO  no  aoo&.' 

written  in  letters'  of  gold  :  "If  grammar  schools  have 
holy  and  learned  men  set  over  them,  not  only  th« 
brains,  but  also  the  souls  of  the  children  might  there 
be  enriched,  and  the  work  both  of  learning  and  oi' 
grace  be  early  commenced  in  them."  In  order  to  do 
this,  let  it  be  proposed,  that  you  not  only  pray  with  your 
scholars  daily,  but  also  take  occasion,  from  the  public 
sermons,  and  from  remarkable  occurrences  in  your 
neighborhood,  frequently  to  inculcate  the  lessons  of 
yitij  on  the  children. 

Tutors  ill  the  colleges  may  do  well  to  converse  witli 
^ach  of  their  pupils  alone,  with  all  possible  solemnity 
and  affection,  concerning  their  internal  state,  concernr 
icg  repentance  for  sin,  and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
fcO  bring  them  to  express  resolutions  of  serious  piety. 
You  may  do  a  thousand  things  to  render  your  pupils 
orthodas  in  sentiment,  regular  in  practice,  and  quali- 
fied for  public  service. 

I  have  read  of  a  tutor^  who  made  it  his  constant 
practice  in  every  recitation,  to  take  occasion,  from 
something  or  other  that  occurred,  to  drop  at  least  one 
sentence  that  had  a  tendency  to  promote  the  fear  of 
God  in  their  hearts.  This  method  sometimes  cost  him 
^  good  deal  of  study,  but  the  good  effect  sufficiently 
recompensed  him  for  it. 

I  should  be  glad  to  see  certain  authors  received  in- 
to the  grammar  schools  as  classical,  which  are  not  gen» 
erally  admitted  there,  such  as  Castalio  in  the  Latin 
tongue,  and  Posselius  in  the  Greek;  and  I  could  wish, 
with  some  modern  writers,  that  "a  northwest  passage"^ 
for  the  attainment  of  Latin  might  be  discovered  ;  that 
Instead  of  a  journey  which  might  be  dispatched  in  a 
few  days,  they  might  not  be  obliged  to  wander,  like 
the  children  of  Israel,  many  years  ia  the  >vilderiie§^^ 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  106 


I  might  recite  the  complaint  of  x\ustin,  "that  littl« 
boys  are  taught  in  the  schools  the  filthy  actions  of  the 
Pagan  gods,  for  reciting  which,"  said  he,  "I  was  call- 
ed a  boy  of  promise  ;"*  or  the  comphiiut  of  Luther, 
*'that  our  schools  are  Pagan  rather  than  Christian." 
1  might  mention  what  a  late  author  says,  "1  knew 
an  aged  and  eminent  schoolmaster,  who,  after  keep- 
ing a  school  about  fifty  years,  said  with  a  sad  coun- 
tenance, that  it  was  a  great  trouble  to  him  that  he  had 
spent  so  much  time  in  reading  Pagan  authors  to  his 
scholars ;  and  wished  it  were  customary  to  read  such 
a  book  as  Duport's  verses  on  Job,  rather  than  Homer,- 
&c.  I  pray  God,  to  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  a  wise 
parliament  to  purge  our  schools  ;  tliat  instead  of  learn- 
ing vain  fictions,  and  nlthy  stories^  they  n:ay  become 
acquainted  with  the  word  of  God,  and  with  books  con- 
taining grave  sayings,  and  things  which  may  make 
them  truly  wise  and  useful  in  the  world."  But  I  pre- 
sume little  notice  will  be  taken  of  such  wishes  as  thes«. 
It  is  with  despair  that  I  mention  them. 

Among  the  occasions  for  promoUng  religion  in  th« 
scholars,  one  in  the  writing  schools  deserves  peculiaf 
notice.  I  have  read  of  an  atrocioijs  sinner  who  was 
converted  to  God,  by  accidentally  reading  the  follow- 
ing sentence  of  Austin,  written  in  a  window  :  "He, 
who  has  promised  pardon  to  the  penitent  sinner,  has 
not  promised  repentance  to  the  presumptuous  one.'' 
Who  can  tell  what  good  may  be  done  to  the  young 
scholar  by  a  sentence  in  his  cojiy-book  ?  Let  their  co- 
pies be  composed  of  sentences  worthy  to  be  had  ia 
everlasting  remembrance — of  sentences  which  shall 
contain  the  brightest  maxims  of  wisdom,  worthy  to  fe« 

*  Ab  hoc  bonw  »pei  puer  appelUbar. 


10^  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

written  ou  the  fleshly  tables  of  their  hearts,  to  be  gra- 
ven with  the  point  of  a  cliamond  there.  God  ha« 
blessed  such  sentences  to  many  scholars  .;  they  have 
been  useful  to  them  ail  their  days. 

In  the  grammar  school,  also,  the  scholars  may  be 
directed,  foi-  their  exercises,  to  turn  into  Latin  such 
passages  as  may  be  useful  for  their  instruction  in  the^ 
principles  of  Christianity,  and  furnish  them  with  sup- 
plies from  "the  tower  of  David."  Their  letters  alsa 
may  be  on  subjects  which  may  be  friendly  to  the  inter- 
ests of  virtue^ 

I  will  adiJ,  it  is  very  desirable  to  manage  the  €Usci- 
pline  of  the  school,  by  means  of  rewards,  rather  than 
cf  punishments.  Many  methods  of  rewarding  the  dili- 
gent aiK}  deserying  may  be  invented ;  and  a  boy  of 
aa  ingenious  temper,  by  the, expectation  of  reward, 
(ad  palm£&  cursurus  honores)  will  do  his  best.  You 
csieem  Quintiilian.  Hear  him  :  "Use  stripes  sparing' 
\y  ;  rather  let  the  youth  be  stimulated  by  praise,  and 
by  the  distinctions  conferred  on  his  classmates."*  ]f  a 
fault  must  be  punished,  let  instruction,  both  to  the 
deiinqiient  and  to  the  spectator,  accompany  the  cor- 
rection. Let  the  odious  name  of  the  sin  which  en- 
forced the  correction,  be  declared ;  and  let  nothing  be 
done  in  anger,  but  with  every  mark  of  tenderness  and 
concern. 

Ajax  Flageliifer  may  be  read  in  the  school  ;  he  is 
aot  fit  to  be  the  master  of  it.  Let  it  not  be  said  of  the 
boys,  they  were  brought  up  in  the  '^school  of  Tyran- 
nus."  Pliny  says,  that  bears  are  the  better  for  beat- 
ing :  More  fit  to  have  the  management  of  bears  than 
®f  ingenious  boys,  are  those  masters  who  cannot  give 


*  Cavendum  aplagis,  sed  poti\l8  Uu4e>  fejlt  aUorUID  pr^ 
lationc;  urg(;iidus  est  pusr. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  iQlj 


a  bit  of  learning  without  giving  a  blow  with  it.  Send 
them  to  the  tutors  of  the  famous  Lithuanian  school  at 
Samourgau.  Tlie  harsh  Orbilian  way  of  treating 
children,  too  commonly  used  in  the  schools,  is  a  dread- 
ful curse  of  God  on  our  miserable  offspring,  who  are 
born  '^children  of  wrath."  It  is  boasted  sometimes  of  a 
.schoolmaster,  that  such  a  brave  man  had  his  educa- 
tion under  him  ;  but  it  is  never  said,  how  many,  who 
might  have  been  brave  men,  have  been  ruined  by 
him ;  how  many  brave  wits  have  been  dispirited,  con- 
founded, murdered  by  his  barbarous  way  of  managing 
them. 


VroposaU  to  Churches  for  doing  good* 

We  have  already  proposed  to  the  Pasfcrs  of  Churcli^ 
es  various  ways  of  doing  good;  we  shall  now  lay  be- 
fore the  Chiirclies  themselves  some  proposals  of  ob- 
jects, in  which  they  may  do  well  to  join  their  pas- 
tors. 

Bays  of  Prayer,  occasionally  observed,  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  obtaining  the  sanctifying  influences  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  rising  generation,  have  had 
a  marvellous  efficacy  in  producing  a  religious  posterity 
in  the  land,  and  "a  seed  accounted  to  the  Lord  for  a 
generation."  Such  an  acknowledgment  of  the  neces- 
sity and  excellency  of  supernjtural  grace  would  be  a 
very  probable  preparative  and  introduction  to  the  com- 
munication of  it.  And  when  the  children  «ee  their 
jpareutg  thus  earnestly  seeking  the  grace  eC  God  fbr 


1Q3  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD; 


them,  it  wouM  have  a  natural  tendency  to  awakea 
them  to  an  earnest  seeking  of  it  for  themselves.  The 
sermons  also  preached  by  the  ministers  on  such  solemn 
occasions,  woukl,  probably,  be  very  awakening  ones. 
That  this  proposal  has  been  so  little  attended  to,  is  la- 
mentable and  remarkable  i  but,  "they  ail  slumbered 
and  slept." 

There  is  another  proposal  which  has  been  tendered 
to  all  our  churches,  and  regarded  by  some  of  them: 

That  the  several  churches,  having  in  an  instrument 
proper  for  the  purpose,  made  a  catalogue  of  such  things 
as  have  indisputably  been  found  amiss  among  them,  do 
with  all  seriousness  and  solemnity  pass  their  votes, 
that  they  account  such  things  to  be  very  offensive 
evils,  and  that  renouncing  all  dependence  on  their  own 
strength,  to  avoid  such  evils,  they  humbly  implore  the 
help  of  divine  grace,  to  assist  them  in  watching  against 
the  said  evils  both  in  themselves  and  in  one  another  c 
And  that  the  communicants  resolve,  frequently  to  re-" 
fleet  upon  these  their  acknowledgments  and  protesta- 
tions,  as  perpetual  monitors  to  them,  to  prevent  the 
miscarriages  by  which  too  many  professors  are  so  easi- 
ly overtaken. 

It  has  been  considered,  that  such  humble  recogni- 
tions of  duty  will  not  only  be  accepted  by  our  God, 
as  declarations  for  him,  upon  which  he  will  declare  for 
us;  but  also,  that  they  are  the  way  ef  the  new  cove- 
Bant,  for  obtaining  assistance  to  perform  our  duty. 

A  particular  church  may  be  an  illustrious  pillar  of 
the  truth,  by  considering  what  important  truths  m^y 
call  for  special,  signal  open  testimonies ;  and  they  may 
excite  their  pastors  to  the  composing  of  such  testimo- 
nies, and  likewise  assist  them  in  the  publication  of 
theoi.    It  is  probable  that  G  od  would  accompany  such 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  lOT 


testimonies  with  a  marvellous  efficacy  to  suppress 
growing  errors  and  evils.  A  proi)osaI  of  this  nature 
may  be  worthy  of  some  consideration. 

1.  It  were  desirable  that  every  particular  church 
should  be  furnished  w4th  a  stock,  that  may  be  a  con- 
stant and  ready  fund  for  the  propagation  of  religion ; 
and  that  every  minister  would  use  his  best  endeavors, 
both  by  his  own  contribulion,  according  to  his  ability, 
and  by  applying  to  well-disposed  persons  under  his  in- 
fluence, to  increase  the  stock,  either  in  the  way  of  pub^ 
lie  collections  made  at  certain  periods,  or  in  that  of 
more  private  and  occasional  communications. 

2.  This  evajigelical  treasury  mhy  be  lodged  in  the 
hands  of  the  deacons  of  the  respective  churches  in 
which  it  is  collected;  who  are  to  keep  exact  accounts 
of  the  receipts  and  disbursements ;  and  let  nothing 
be  drawn  from  it,  without  the  knowledge  and  consent 
of  the  church  to  which  it  belongs. 

3.  The  first  and  main  intention  of  this  evangelic- 
al treasury  is  to  be,  the  propagation  of  religion ;  and 
therefore,  when  any  attempts  of  usefulness  are  to  be 
made  on  unevangelised  places,  the  neighboring  min- 
isters may  consult  each  of  the  churches,  what  propor- 
tion they  may  allow  out  of  their  evangelical  treasury, 
towards  the  support  of  so  noble  an  undertaking. 

4.  This  evangelical  treasury  may  be  applied  to 
other  pious  uses,  and  especially  to  such  as  any  partic- 
ular church  may  think  fit,  for  the  service  of  religion 
in  their  own  vicinity  :  Such  as  the  sending  of  Bibles 
and  catechisms  to  be  dispersed  among  the  poor,  where 
it  may  be  thought  necessary.  Likewise,  giving  as- 
sistance to  new  congregations,  in  their  first  attempts 
to  build  meeting-houses  for  the  public  worship  of  Goei 
with  scriptural  purity. 


Ids  EaSATS  TO  CO  GOOD. 


Query — Our  churches  have  their  sacramental  col* 
lectioas,  and  it  is  not  fit  indeed  that  they  should  be 
"without  them.  The  primitive  christians  did  the  same : 
Justin  Martyr  informs  us  of  the  "collections,"  and 
Tertullian  of  the  '^gifts  of  piety,"  which  were  made 
on  such  occasions*  But  would  not  our  churches  do 
well  to  augment  their  liberality  in  their  grateful  and 
joyful  collections  at  the  table  of  the  Lord,  and  to  re- 
solve that  what  is  now  collected  shall  be  part  of  their 
evangelical  treasury ;  not  only  for  the  supply  of  the 
table  and  the  relief  of  the  poor,  but  also  for  such  other 
services  to  the  kingdom  of  God  as  they  may,  from  time 
to  time,  find  occasion  to  countenance? 


Proposals  to  Magktraies. 

FkoM  ecclesiastical  circumstances,  which,  in  sucli 
a  subject  as  the  present,  may  with  the  utmost  propri- 
ety claim  the  precedency,  we  will  make  a  transition  to 
politicah  Now— *'touch  the  mountains,  and  they 
will  smoke !"  O  when  shall  wisdom  visit  princes  and 
nobles,  and  all  the  judges  of  the  earth,  and  inspire 
them  to  preserve  the  due  lustre  of  their  character,  by  a 
desire  to  do  good  on  the  earth,  and  a  study  to  glorify 
the  God  of  heaven !  The  opportunities  to  do  good, 
which  rulers  possess,  are  so  evident,  so  numerous,  and 
so  extensive,  that  the  person  who  addresses  them,  can- 
not butbte  overwhelmed  with  some  confusion  of  thought, 
scarcely  knowing  where  to  begin,  when  to  conclude,  or 
how  to  assign  a  fit  order  to  his  addresses.    Indeed,  the 


ESSAYS  10  DO  GOOD.  109 


very  definition  of  government  is,  **a  care  for  the  safety 
of  others."  Sirs,  from  whom  have  you  received  this 
power?  "You  could  have  no  power  at  all,  except  it 
were  given  you  from  above."  Certainly  v.hat  is  thus 
received  from  God  should  be  employed  for  God.  *'Be 
wise  now,  therefore,  O  ye  kings  ,•  be  instructed,  ye 
judges  of  the  earth :  serve  the  Lord  with  fear,"  lest  yom 
forget  and  offend  him  who  has  made  you  what  you  are,. 
Kiss  the  feet  of  the  son  of  God,  lest  he  be  displeased 
at  the  neglect  of  your  duty.  Do  not  kindle  the  wrath 
of  him,  who  is  "the  blessed  and  only  Potentate,  the 
King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords."  What  is  the 
name  of  a  magistrate  ?  The  name  which  he  that  made 
bim  has  given  him  is,  "the  minister  o?  God  for  good." 
His  empty  name  will  produce  a  sad  crime,  if  he  Ao  not 
set  himself  to  "do  good,"  as  far  as  ever  he  can  extend 
his  influence.  Is  he  a  vicegerent  for  God,  and  shall 
lie  do  nothing  for  God  ?  Gross  absurdity  !  black  ingrat- 
itude !  Is  he  one  of  those  whom  the  Avord  of  God  has 
called  gods  ?  Gods  who  do  no  good,  are  not  worthy  of 
that  honorable  appellation,  but  another  name,  too  hor- 
rible to  be  mentioned,  belongs  to  them  :  such  rulers  we 
way  call  Gods  "that  have  mouths,  but  they  speak  not; 
eyes,  but  th^y  see  not ;  noses,  but  the}"^  smell  not ;  and 
hands,  but  they  handle  not  I"  Government  is  called, 
•'the  ordinance  of  God ;"  and  as  the  admifiistration  of 
it  is  to  avoid  those  illegalities  wliich  would  render  it 
no  other  than  a  violation  of  the  ordinance ;  so  it  should 
vigorously  pursue  that  noble  and  blessed  end  for  which 
it  is  designed — the  good  of  mankind.  Unworthy  of 
all  their  other  flourishing  titles  are  those  rulers  who  are 
taot  chiefly  ambitious  to  be  entitled  benefactors.  The 
greatest  monarch  in  Christendom,  one  who  by  compu- 
tation has  fourscore  millions  of  subjects,  and  whom  the 


110  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOPr 


scripture  styles,  "the  head  over  many  countries;"  is  in 
the  sacred  prophecies  called  "a  vile  person  :"  and  such 
indeed  is  the  character  of  every  magistrate  who  does 
not  aim  to  do  good  in  the  world.  Rulers  who  make 
no  other  use  of  their  superior  station  than  to  swagger 
over  their  neighbors,  command  their  obsequious  tlatte- 
riesj  enrich  themselves  with  their  spoils,  and  then  wal- 
low in  sensual  and  brutal  pleasures,  are  the  basest  of 
men.  From  a  sense  of  this,  the  Venetians,  though 
they  allow  concubines,  yet  never  employ  a  tradesman 
whom  they  observe  to  be  excessively  addicted  to  sen- 
sual gratifications ;  esteeming  such  a  character  a  mere 
cypher.  Because  a  wretched  world  will  continue 
averse  to  the  kingdom  of  the  glorious  and  only  Sa- 
vior, and  say  of  our  Immanuel,  "we  will  not  have 
tliis  man  to  reign  over  us;"  it  is  therefore  very  much 
put  into  the  hands  of  such  selfish,  sensual,  and  wicked 
rulers.  While  the  deserved  curse  of  God  remains  up- 
on an  impious  and  infatuated  world,  but  few  rulers  will 
be  found  who  will  seriously  and  strenuously  devise  its 
good,  and  seek  to  be  blessings  to  it.  Many,  alas ! 
there  are,  whose  lives  are  not  worthy  of  a  prayer,  nor 
their  deaths  of  a  tear.  Athanasius  has  well  answered 
the  question,  whence  is  it  that  such  worthless  and 
wicked  men  get  into  authority  ?  "It  is,"  says  he,  "be- 
cause the  people  are  wicked,  and  must  be  punished 
with  men  after  their  own  hearts."  Thus,  when  a  Pho- 
cas  was  made  emperor,  a  religious  man  complaining  to 
heaven,  "why  hast  thou  made  this  man  emperor  I*"  was 
answered,  "I  could  not  find  a  worse."  Evil  rulers  are 
well  reckoned  by  the  historian,  among  the  effects  "of 
divine  vengeance:"  they  may  go  into  the  catalogue 
with  the  sword,  the  pestilence,  and  fire.  One  man 
IK  ay  be  worse  than  all  three.    Such  bring  up  tke  rear  in 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  Ill 


the  train  of  the  "pale  horse" — "the  beasts  of  the  earth.'' 
"O  our  God,  our  God,  when  will  thy  compassions  to 
a  miserable  world  appear  in  bestowing  upon  it  good 
rulers,  able  men,  men  of  truth,  fearing  God,  and  hating 
covetousness !  O  that  the  time  were  come  when  there 
shall  be  a  ruler  over  men,  the  Just  One,  thy  Jesus, 
ruling  in  the  fear  of  God;  he  shall  be  as  the  light  of 
the  morning,  when  the  sua  riseth ;  under  him  the 
mountains  sliall  bring  peace  to  the  people,  and  the  lit- 
tle hills  by  righteousness.  Ilagtenit  in  thy  good  time, 
O  Lord!  How  long,  O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou 
not  judge,  and  make  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  thy^ 
own,  and  remove  them  that  corrupt  the  earth,  and 
in  a  great  chain  bind  up  him  who  pretends  that  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  are  his,  and  those  who  are  the 
rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world '." 

Ail  you  that  love  God,  add  your  amen,  to  hastea 
the  coining  of  this  day  of  God. 

In  the  meantime  it  cannot  be  expressed  how  much 
good  may  be  done  by  the  chief  magistrate  of  a  country 
who  will  make  the  "doing  of  good"  his  chief  inten- 
tion :  witness  a  Constantine,  a  Theodosius,  or  a  Gra- 
llan.  The  first  of  these,  notwithstanding  the  vast  cares 
of  the  empire  to  engage  his  time,  yet  would  every  day, 
at  stated  hours,  retire  to  his  closet,  and  on  his  knees 
offer  up  his  prayers  to  the  God  of  glory.  And  that  be 
might  recommend  this  duty  to  the  world,  this  admira- 
ble emperor  caused  his  image  on  all  his  gold  coins,  and 
his  pictures  and  statues,  to  be  made  in  a  praying  pos- 
ture, with  his  hands  extended,  and  his  eyes  lifted  up 
to  heaven.  O  imperial  piety  !  to  behold  such  a  prince 
thus  publicly  espousing  the  cause  of  religion,  one  would 
think  were  enough  to  convert  a  w  orld  !  It  would  be  so, 
if  it  were  not  for  the  dreadful  energi^  of  one^  who  is 


jiil  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 

■   \         


become  by  the  wrath  of  God>  "the  prince  of  this  world  !'* 
The  virtuous  example  of  such  a  monarch  as  we  have 
just  described  is  ahiiost  enough  to  reform  whole  na- 
tions :  it  carries  with  it  irresistible  charms,  by  which 
the  whole  world  is  attracted  and  won  upon.  A  prince 
exemplary  for  piety,  like  the  sun  shining  in  his  merid° 
Ian  strength,  sheds  the  rays  of  heaven  v>'lth  a  most  pen- 
etrating force  upon  the  people,  "rejoicing  under  his 
wings.'*  Such  an  instance  is  now  uncommon;  but  it 
ivill  not  be  so  in  the  approaching  age,  when  the  "kings 
of  the  earth  shall  bring  their  glory  and  honor''  into  the 
iioly  city.  A  little  piety  in  princes  makes  a  glaring 
show;  the  eyes  of  their  subjects  are  dazzled,  and  their 
minds  ravished  with  it.  What  then  would  be  done  by 
a  degree  of  piety  in  them,  tliat  should  bear  a  propor- 
tion to  the  degree  of  their  dignity,  and  if  their  piety 
were  as  much  above  that  of  other  men  as  their  station  ? 
Roll  on,  ye  ages,  to  bring  about  such  admirable  spec-^ 
tacles ! 

AYhata  vast  influence  might  such  princes  have  o» 
Ihe  reformation  of  the  world,  and  consequently  on  its 
felicity,  by  dispensing  preferments  and  employments  io 
none  but  such  as  v.'ere  recoii^mended  to  them  by  their 
Tirtue  !  If  good  men  generally  were  put  into  commis- 
sions,  and  none  but  such  made  commanders  at  sea,  or 
on  shore,  what  a  great  change  for  the  better  would  the 
world  immediately  be  blessed  with  !  I  will  beg  leave 
to  s^y  that  it  would  be  a  most  comprehensive  service 
to  a  nation  to  get  tliem  unfettered  from  any  ieit  that 
may  render  honest  and  faithful  men  incapable  of  serv- 
ing them.  Ami  I  will  take  the  liberty  cf  saying,  that 
displacing  a  Jew  ojficers,  on  account  of  their  vicious 
character,  would  do  far  more  to  improve  the  state  of  a 
tlepvavcd  and  aMicted  naiion,  than  a  thousand  |7rec/<?- 


E3SA.YS  TO  DO  GOOD.  US 


matians  against  vicCy  not  followed  with  such  regula- 
tions. 

Good  laws  are  important  engines  to  prevent  much 
evil ;  indeed,  they  reach  none  without  doing  some  good 
to  them  :  all,  therefore,  who  have  any  concern  in  the 
legislation,  should  be  active  in  promoting  such  laws  a* 
may  prove  of  permanent  advantage.  IThe  representa- 
tives of  a  people  will  do  w  ell  to  inquire,  "what  is  there 
*lill  defective  in  our  laws,  leaving  the  iniquities  or  the 
necessities  of  men  unprovided  against  ?'*  and  "what 
further  laws  may  be  proposed,  to  advance  the  reign  oi 
righteousness  and  holiness  ?"  There  have  been  laws, 
(^and  sometimes  none  of  the  best)  which  have  render- 
ed  the  names  of  their  authors  immortal :  but  the  re- 
membrance of  "the  man,  who  first  proposed  a  good 
law"  is  far  more  honorable  than  a  statue  erected  to 
his  memory.  But,  sirs,  if  your  fellow  men  forget  such 
an  action,  it  will  not  fail  of  a  recompense  in  God's  re- 
membrance, or  your  own.  You  know  whose  prayer  it 
was — "think  upon  me,  my  God,  for  good,  according  to 
all  that  I  have  done  for  this  people.'* 

Magistrates  may  do  incredible  good  by  countenanc- 
in]g  worthy  ministers.  To  settle  and  support  such 
*  men  of  God"  in  a  place,  is  to  become,  I  may  say,  the 
grandfathers  of  all  the  good  which  those  men  do  in  the 
place.  Their  consultations  and  combinations  with 
able,  failliful,  zealous  ministers,  may  produce  better 
effects  than  any  astrologer  ever  foretold  of  the  most 
bappy  conjunction.  When  Moses  and  Aaron  unite  to 
do  good,  what  cannot  they  effect?  Queen  Elizabeth 
admired  the  happiness  of  Suffolk,  in  her  progress 
Ibrough  the  country,  where  she  observed  a  remarkably 
good  understanding  to  subsist  between  virtuous  niagis- 
irsites  and  faithful  miaislers, 
K2. 


'iH  ESSAY*  TO  DO   6001?. 


Brie%:  We  will  observe  a  decorum  in  our  prop©^ 
sals,  and  not  suppose  inattention  or  incapacity  in  th© 
persons  to  whom  we  offer  them.  It  shall  only  be  pro- 
posed^ that,  since  magistrates  are  usually  men  of  abili- 
ties, they  would  sometimes  retire  to  a  serious  contem* 
platioo  on  that  generous  question,  "what  good  may  I 
do  in  the  w^orld  ?"  and  to  observe  what  they  are  them» 
selves  able  to  invent,  (assisted  by  the  implored  grace 
©f  heaven)  as  part  of  that  good  which  they  are  to  per« 
form  in  "serving  their  generation/' 

I  mistake  if  old  Theognia*  had  not  a  maxim,  which 
ought  never  to  be  forgotten,  "when  the  administration 
of  affairs  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  men,  proud  of  com- 
mand, and  devoted  to  their  own  private  emolument, 
depend  upon  it  the  people  will  soon  become  a  misera^ 
tele  people."  I  propose  that  this  maxim  be  carefully 
^femembered,  and  this  mischief  avoided. 

I  add  one  thing  more— "thinkest  thou  this,  0  man 
that  judgest,  that  thou  shalt  escape  the  judgment  of 
God?"  Let  the  judges  of  the  people  remember  that 
God.  will  one  day  bring  them  into  judgment.!  O  that 
rulers  would  realize  this  to  themselves — that  they 
jnust  give  an  account  to  God  of  the  administration  oC 
iheir  government.  Sirs,  the  great  God,  before  whcni 
the  greatest  of  you  all  is  but  a  worm,  will  demand  of 
you,  '* whether  you  were  faithful  in  the  discharge  of 
your  oiSce  ?  What  you  did  for  his  kingdom  in  your 
©iTice?  Whether  you  did  what  you  was  able  that  th^ 
ivorld  might  be  the  better  for  you  .^"  If  you  would  fre- 
quently take  this  subject  into  your  consideration,  it 

*  An  ancient  Greek  poet  of  Megara  in  Achla.  He  flour- 
jshed  about  144  years  B.  C.  A  moral  work  of  his  is  extant^ 
contaming  a  summary  of  precepts,  &c. 

t  Judex  nupereram  ;  jam  Ju4ic»r,  I  WftS  but  lately  sj, 
judge  j  now  I  am  ftttke  b«tf. 


ESSAYS  TO  BO  GOOD.  !  1 S 


could  not  but  stimulate  you  to  the  perforpi&nc3  of  ma- 
ny actions,  which  would  be  "no  grief  of  heart"  to  you, 
another  day.  He  was  one  of  the  best  rulers  in  the 
world,  who  thus  expressed  himself,  "what  shall  I  do 
Khen  God  risetii  up ;  and  when  he  shall  visit,  what 
shall  I  answer  him  ?"  Even  Abubeker,  the  successor 
of  Mahomet,  when  his  people  expostidated  with  him 
for  walking;  on  foot,  when  he  reviewed  his  army,  said, 
*'I  shall  find  my  account  with  God  for  these  steps." 
He  has  less  Christianity  than  a  Mahometan,  who  is  uU 
terly  unmindful  of  the  account  he  must  give  to  Godfoj 
the  step^  which  he  takeso 

How  prosperously  did  the  affairs  of  Neo-Csesaria 
proceed,  when  Basil,  who  resided  there,  could  give  thi* 
account  of  the  governor^  "he  was  a  most  exact  observ- 
er of  justice ;  yet  very  courteous,  obliging,  and  easy  oi' 
access  to  the  oppressed.  He  was  equally  at  leisure  to 
feceive  the  rich  and  the  poor;  but  all  wicked  meii 
were  afraid  of  him.  He  utterly  abhorred  the  taking 
of  a  bribe;  and  his  design  was,  in  brief,  to  raise 
Christianity  to  its  primitive  dignity."  A.  Mahometan 
captain-general,  whose  name  was  Caled,  once  said  to 
a  Christian,  "It  does  not  at  all  become  men  in  eminent 
stations,  to  deal  deceitfully,  and  descend  to  tricks."  Il 
is  a  miserable  thing,  indeed,  when  Christians,  ia  eui' 
Ineiit  stations,  will  do  sueh  things  \ 


US  ESSAYS  TO  DO  G00»» 


Proposals  to  Physicians, 

The  Physicicm  enjoys  many  opportunities  of  doing 
good»  and  so  rendering  himself,  "a  beloved  physician  ;'* 
for  this  purpose  we  shall  offer  our  advice. 

Zaccuth,  the  Portuguese,  who,  among  many  other 
works,  composed  "a  history  of  the  most  eminent  phy« 
sicians,"  after  he  was  settled  in  Amsterdam,  submitted 
to  circumcision,  and  thereby  evinced,  that  for  the  thir- 
ty preceding  years  of  his  life,  he  had  only  dissembled 
Christianity  at  Lisbon ;  yet,  because  he  was  very  char- 
itable  to  poor  patients,  he  was  highly  esteemed :  we 
now  apply  ourselves  to  those  whose  love  to  Christiani- 
ty is,  we  hop®,  'Svithout  dissimulation."  From  them 
may  be  expected  a  charity  and  a  usefulness,  which  may 
entitle  them  to  a  remembrance  in  a  better  history  than 
that  of  Zacuius  Lusitanus  ;  in  that  *'book  of  life,"  in 
which  a  name  will  be  deemed  far  more  valuable  than 
any  which  are  recorded  in  the  "Vitse  Illustriuni  Med» 
icorum"— 'the  lives  of  illustrious  physicians.* 

By  serious  and  shining  pietj  in  your  own  example, 
you  will  bear  a  glorious  testimony  to  the  cause  of  God 
and  religion.  You  will  glorify  the  God  of  nature,  and 
the  only  Savior.  Your  acquaintance  with  nature  wil2 
indeed  be  your  condemnation,  if  you  do  it  not.  Noth=. 
iiig  is  so  unnatural  as  to  be  irrdigious.  *'Religio  Me» 
dici,"  (the  religion,  of  the  physician)  has  the  least  rea- 
son of  any  under  heaven  to  be  an  "irreligion."  They 
liave  acted  the  most  unreasonable  part,  who  have  giv- 
en occasioEJbr  that  complaint  of  christians,  "wkecSv 

•  By  Peter  CastsUanviSt^ 


ESSAYS    TO  DO  GOOD.  117 


there  are  three  physicians,  there  are  three  atheists."* 
It  is  sad  to  reSect,  that  when  we  read  about  the  state 
of  the  Rephaim  in  the  other  world,  the  physicians  are, 
by  so  many  translators,  carried  into  it.  It  is  sad  to  re- 
flect, that  the  Jews  should  imagine  they  have  reason 
to  say,  "the  best  of  the  physicians  go  <o  hell."t  For 
this  severe  sentence,  they  assign  the  following  cause, 
*'for  he  is  not  warned  by  diseases ;  he  fares  sumptuous- 
ly, and  humbles  not  his  heart  before  God.  Sometimes 
he  is  even  accessary  to  the  death  of  men,  when  he 
neglects  the  pooj;;  whom  he  might  cure."}:  A  sad  sto- 
ry, if  it  be  true  ! 

Gentlemen,  you  will  never  account  yourselves  such 
adepts  as  to  be  at  a  stand  in  your  studies,  aiid  make 
no  further  progress  in  your  inquiries  into  the  nature  of 
diseases  and  their  remedies.  "A  physician  arrived  at 
his  full  growth"  looks  dangerously  and  omiiiously. 
Had  the  world  gone  on  with  merely  an  EscidapiuSf 
furnished  only  with  a  goat  whose  milk  vfdiS  pharmaci/^ 
and  a  dog,  whose  tongue  v/as  siirgery,  we  had  been  in 
a  miserable  state.  You  will  be  diligent,  studiou?,  in- 
quisitive ;  and  continue  to  read  much,  to  think  more, 
and  to  pray  most  of  all  :  and  be  solicitous  to  invent 
and  dispense  something  very  considerable  for  the  good 
of  mankind,  which  none  before  you  had  discovered  i 
be  solicitous  to  make  some  addition  to  the  treasures  of 
your  noble  profession.  To  obtain  the  honor  of  being 
a  Sydenham  may  not  be  in  your  power  ;§  yet  *'to  do 
something"  is  a  laudable  ambition. 


*  Ubl  Ires  niedici,  trca  athei. 
f  Optimus  inter  medicos  ad  gehennam. 
i  Non  enim  meUiit  a  morbis  ;  vescitur  laute,  nee  confrin- 
g\l  cor  suum  Deo  ;  aliquando  eliam  interficit  homines,  qusai' 
do  pauperes  quos  posset,  non  sanat. 
J  Noil  cuivis  homini  conting-it. 


21^  ESSAYS  TO  DO  G002)» 


By  the  benefit  they  expect  from  you,  and  by  the 
eharms  of  your  polite  education  and  manners,  you  are 
sometimes  introduced  into  the  familiar  acquaintance 
of  great  men;  persons  of  the  first  quality  entertain  you 
with  freedom  and  friendship  :  probably  you  become, 
li-nder  the  oath  of  Hippocrates,  a  kind  of  confessors  to 
them,  (indeed  for  several  ages,  the  confessors  were 
usually  the  physicians  of  the  people.)  What  an  ad- 
vantage does  this  furnish  you  with  for  doing  good  I 
The  poor  Jews,  both  in  the  east  and  west  parts  of  the 
world,  have  procured  many  advantages  by  means  of. 
their  countrymen,  who  have  risen  to  be  physicians  ta 
the  princes  of  the  countries  in  which  they  resided. 
Sirs,  your  permission  *''to  feel  the  pulse"  of  eminent 
persons  may  enable  you  to  promote  many  a  good 
work ;  you  need  not  be  told  what :  you  will  soon  per- 
ceive excellent  methods,  if  yoa  will  only  deliberate 
apon  it :  "What  proposals  may  I  make  to  my  patient, 
by  attending  to  which,  he  may  do  good  in  the  world  ?'* 
If  you  read  what  Gregory  Nazianzen  writes  of  hh 
brother  Csesarius,  a  famous  and  respectable  physician 
you  will  doubtless  find  your  desires  excited  to  act  in, 
this  manner.  You  know  how  ready  the  sick  are  to 
hear  of  good  proposals ;  and  how  seasonable  it  is  to 
urge  such  upon  them,  when  the  commencement  of 
recovery  from  sickness  calls  for  their  gratitude  to  the 
God  of  their  health.  And  for  persons  also  who  are  in 
jaealth,  you  may  find  "seasonable  times  to  drop  a  hint."* 

Physicians  are  frequently  men  of  universal  lear^jing? 
they  have  sufficient  ability,  and  sometimes  opportuni- 
ty to  write  books  on  a  vast  variety  of  subjects,  where- 
by  knowledge  and  virtue  may  be  greatly  advanced  in 
the  world.    The  late  Epic  poems  of  a  Blackuiore,  aud 


*  Moilissima  teiupor*  fan,dL 


ESSAYS  Td  DO  GOOD.  310 


Cosmologia  Sacra  of  a  Grew,  are  recent  examples ; 
mankind  is  much  indebted  to  those  learned  physicians} 
their  names  are  immortalised  ;  they  need  no  statues, 
nor  need  they  mind  the  envy  of  a  modern  Theophras- 
tus.  A  catalogue  of  books  written  by  learned  physi- 
cians, on  various  subjects,  besides  those  of  their  own 
profession,  would  in  itself  almost  make  a  volume.  In 
the  great  army  of  learned  physicians  who  have  pub- 
lished their  labors  on  the  "word  which  the  Lord  has 
given,"  and  for  the  service  of  his  church,  and  of  th« 
>v'orId,  I  humbly  move,  that  the  incomparable  Zuinger 
and  Gesner  may  appear  as  field-officers,  A  city  Tau- 
ris  were  too  mean  a  present  for  physicians  of  such 
distinguished  merit.  I  propose  them  to  imitation, 
that  many  may  follow  such  examples.  You  know 
that  Freher  has  brought  on  his  theatre,  nearly  five 
hundred  famous  physicians,  w^th  some  account  of  their 
lives  and  works ;  there  are  very  few  Britons  among 
them,  and  none  at  all  that  lived  to  the  end  of  the  for- 
mer century.  What  a  vast  addition  might  there  be 
since  made  to  that  "list  of  honor,"  from  the  British  no- 
tions !  May  an  excellent  ambition  to  be  enrolled  in  itj 
excite  those  who  have  ability,  to  "do  worthily!" 

Physicians  have  innumberable  opportunities  to  as- 
sist the  poor,  and  to  give  them  advice  gratis.  It  wa» 
a  noble  saying  of  Cicero,  "a  man  cannot  have  better 
fortune  than  to  be  able,  nor  a  better  temper  than  to  be 
■willing,  to  save  many."*  But  I  will  set  before  you  a 
higher  consideration  than  that,  with  which  a  pagan 
Kirker  was  ever  acquainted.  Sirs,  the  more  charity, 
compassion,  and  condescension  with  which  you  treat 
the  poor,  the  nearer  will  you  approach  to  the  greatest 

•  Nil  habet  fortuna  melias,  qiiam  ut  possis,  neque  natura 
|)r2estantnjs,  quam  ut  ye  lis,  servure  plures. 


120  ESSAYS  TO  J>0  GOOD. 

and  higbest  of  all  glories; — an  imitation  of  yoar  adora* 
hie  Savior.  Yon  will  readily  say,  "why  should  I 
esteem  that  mean,  which  reflected  honor  on  Christ  ?* 
In  comparison  of  this  consolatioa,  it  will  be  a  small 
thing  to  say  to  you,  that  your  coming  among  the 
poor,  will  be  to  them  like  the  descent  of  the  Angel  of 
Bethesda.  We  will  not  presume  to  prescribe  to  you 
what  good  you  shall  do  to  the  poor;  but  beg  leave  to 
enter  an  objection  against  your  taking  any  fees  on  the 
Lord's  day ;  because  the  time  is  not  yours,  but  the 
Lord's. 

When  -we  consider  how  much  the  lives  of  men  are 
in  the  hand  of  God ;  what  a  dependence  we  have  on 
the  God  of  our  health,  for  our  cure  when  we  have 
lost  it;  what  strong  and  remarkable  proofs  we  have 
had  of  angels,  by  their  communications  or  operations, 
contributing  to  the  cure  of  the  diseases  with  which 
mortals  have  been  oppressed;  and  the  marvellous  ef- 
ficacy of  prayer  for  the  recovery  of  a  sick  brother  who 
has  not  sinned  a  *'sin  unto  death  : ' — what  better  thing 
can  be  recommended  to  a  physician,  who  desires  to 
**do  good,"  than  this — to  be  a  man  of  prayer.  In  your 
daily  and  secret  prayer,  carry  every  one  of  your  pa- 
tients as  you  would  your  own  children  to  the  glorious 
Lord  our  healer,  for  his  healing  mercies :  place  them, 
as  far  as  your  prayers  w  ill  do  it,  under  the  beams  of 
the  "Sun  of  Righteousness.'*  And  as  any  new  case 
of  your  patients  may  occur,  especially  if  there  be  any 
difficulty  in  it,  why  should  you  not  make  your  partiC" 
ular  and  solicitous  application  to  Heaven  for  direc- 
tion ?— "O  Lord,  I  know  that  the  way  of  man  is  not 
in  himself,  nor  is  it  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct  his 
steps ;  nor  in  man  that  healelh  to  perform  his  cures." 


*  Quod  decult  Christum,  cur  mihi  turpe  putem  .* 


F«SAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  i2l 

Hippocrates  aOvised  physicians,  when  they  Tisited 
their  patients,  to  consider  whether  there  might  not  be 
something  supernatural  in  the  disease:  "Divinuni 
quiddani  in  morbo."  Truly,  in  some  sense,  this  is 
always  the  case,  and  should  be  so  considered.  What 
a  heavenly  life  might  you  lead,  if  your  profession 
were  carried  on  with  as  many  visits  to  Heaven,  as 
you  pay  to  your  patients !  One  Jacob  Taaphalon,  a 
famous  Jew  of  the  former  century,  published  at  V^e- 
nice,  a  book  entitled,  "Precious  stones.'*  There  are 
several  prayers  in  the  book,  and  among  them  a  pretty- 
long  one,  "for  physicians  when  they  go  to  visit  their 
patients."  That  expression  of  the  Psalmist,  "thou 
hast  made  me  wiser  than  mine  enemies,"  may  be  read, 
"thou  hast  made  me  v/ise  from  mine  enemies." 
"We  ought  to  learn,  even  from  an  enemy  ;  Fas  est  et 
ab  hoste."  Surely  Christianity  will  not,  in  her  devo- 
tions, fall  short  of  Judaism  ! 

We  read  that  "heaviness  in  the  heart  of  man  maketh 
it  stoop ;  but  a  good  word  maketh  it  glad.  A  cheerful 
heart  doeth  good  like  a  medicine;  but  a  broken  spirit 
drieth  up  the  bones."  Baglivi  is  not  the  only  physi- 
cian who  has  made  the  observation,  "that  a  great  many 
of  our  diseases,  either  arise  from  a  weight  of  cares  ly- 
ing on  the  minds  of  men,  or  are  thereby  increased. 
Some  diseases  that  seem  incurable  are  easily  cured  by 
agreeable  conversation.  Disorders  of  the  mind  first 
bring  diseases  on  the  stomach;  and  so  the  whole  mass 
of  blood  gradually  becomes  infected :  and  as  long  as  the 
mental  cause  continues,  the  diseases  may  indeed  change 
their  forms,  but  they  rarely  quit  the  patients."  Tran- 
quility of  mind  mil  do  wonderful  things  towards  the* 
relief  of  bodily  maladies.  It  is  not  without  reason 
that  Kosmau,  in  his  dissertation,  "De»  Meyens  de 
lit 


122  SSSATS  TO  1)0  GOOB. 

Vivre  Long-temps,"  insists  on  tranquility  of  m'md  as 
the  chief  among  the  "means  to  promote  longevity;-^ 
aad  says,  that  this  is  the  meaning  of  that  passage  ; 
*'the  fear  of  the  Lord  tendeth  to  life."  They  w  ho 
have  practised  the  "art  of  curing  by  expectation"  have 
made  experiments  of  what  the  mind  will  do  towards 
the  cure  of  the  body :  this  may  be  also  known  by  prac- 
tising the  art  of  consolation."  I  propose  then,  that 
the  physician  endeavor  to  find  out,  by  all  possible  in- 
genuity of  conversation,  what  matter  of  anxiety  there 
may  have  been  upon  the  mind  of  the  patient,  that  has 
rendered  his  life  burdensome.  Having  discovered  the 
burden,  use  ail  possible  ways  to  take  it  off.  Offer  him 
such  thoughts  as  may  be  the  best  anodynes  for  his  dis- 
tressed mind;  especially  the  "right  thoughts  of  t6* 
righteous,"  and  the  means  of  obtaining  composure  or 
mind  upon  religious  principles*  Give  him  a  prospect, 
if  you  can,  of  some  deliverance  from  his  distresses,  or 
some  abatement  of  them.  Excite  in  him  as  pleasing 
tlioughts  as  possible :  scatter  the  clouds,  and  remove 
the  loads  with  which  his  mind  is  perplexed :  especial«= 
ly  by  representing  and  magnifying  the  mercy  of  God 
in  Christ  to  him.  It  is  possible,  sir,  that  in  this  way 
also,  you  may  find  abundant  opportunities  of  useful- 
ness, by  doing  yourself,  or  by  bringing  otheti  to  do 
kindness  to  the  miserable. 

What  should  hinder  you  from  considering  the  souh 
of  your  patients ;  their  spiritual  health ;  what  they  hav« 
done,  and  what  tbey  have  to  do,  that  they  may  be  ou 
good  terms  with  heaven  1  You  may  take  occasion,  from 
their  natural  disorders,  to  affect  your  owh  mind  and 
theirs  also,  with  a  sense  of  our  corresponding  mora! 
ones.  You  may  make  your  conversation  with  them, 
a  vehicle  for  eoiiveylng  such  admonitions  of  piety,  ae 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOB.  J2S 


may  be  most  neeeful  for  them :  that  they  may  be  found 
neither  unprepared  for  death,  nor  unthankful  and  un- 
fruitful, if  their  lives  should  be  prolonged.  This  you 
may  do,  without  any  iutrusion  on  the  office  of  the  min- 
ister ;  on  the  contrary,  you  may  at  the  same  time  do  a 
very  good  office  for  the  minister,  as  well  as  for  the  pa- 
tient ;  and  may  inform  the  minister  when,  where,  an'i 
how  he  may  be  very  serviceable  among  the  miserable, 
with  whose  cases  he  might  otherwise  remain  unac- 
quainted. The  "art  of  healing"  was,  you  know,  first 
brought  into  a  system,  by  men  who  had  the  "care  of 
souls :"  and  1  know  not  why  they  who  profess  that  no- 
ble "art"  should  wholly  cast  off  that  "care.'*  Perhap<» 
you  remember  to  have  read  of  a  king  who  was  also  a 
physician,  (for  other  crewned  heads,  besides  Mithri- 
dates,  Hadrianus,  and  Constautinus  Pogonatus  have 
been  so)  and  who  gave  this  reason  why  the  Greeks  had 
diseases  amo&g  them  which  remained  so  much  uncur- 
^d :  ''because  they  neglected  their  souls,  the  chief  thino 
of  all."  For  my  part,  I  know  not  why  the  physician 
should  wholly  neglect  the  souls  of  hii  patients. 

I  will  not  detain  ycu  much  longer.  Yoa  are  not  ig- 
norant, that  medicine  once  was,  and  in  many  unevan- 
gelised  parts  of  the  world  is  still  esteemed  a  thing  hor- 
ribly magical,  Celsus  relates,  as  a  part  of  the  Egyp- 
tian philosophy  current  in  his  time,  that  the  body  of  a 
man  was  divided  into  thirty-six  parts,  each  of  which 
was  the  peculiar  allotment  and  possession  of  a  demon  ; 
and  this  demon  was  invoked  by  the  Magi  to  cure  dis- 
eases of  the  part  that  belonged  to  him.  Even  in  Ga- 
len's time  we  find  Egyptian  Legerdemain*  practised  i 
he  himself  writes  of  it.    From  Egypt  other  countries 


*  Prestigiaturas  -€gyptias. 


124  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


became  acquainted  with  this  art:  hence  medicines 
were  called  j^harmaca,*  The  Oriental  nations  had 
their  Teraphim  for  the  cure  of  diseases :  hence  the 
same  Greelc  word  signifies  both  to  worship  and  to  cure ; 
and  the  "cure  of  diseases"  is  reckoned  by  Eusebius  as 
one  main  article  of  the  Pagan  theology.  God  used  all 
proper  means  to  prevent  his  people  from  having  any 
thing  to  do  with  such  sort  of  men  or  of  means.  He  re- 
commended to  them  the  study  of  nature,  and  of  natu- 
ral remedies.  Thus,  after  the  example  of  Solomon, 
they  studied  botany,  and  had  their  apothecaries,  who 
were  to  furnish  them  with  materials  for  medicines.— 
The  princes  of  Judea  had,  as  Pliny  informs  us,  their 
medicinal  gardens.  Probably,  Naboth's  vineyard 
might  have  such  a  one  in  it;  and  this  might  be  the  rea- 
son why  Ahab  so  coveted  it.  Joram,  the  son  of 
Ahab,  repaired  thither  to  be  cured  of  his  wounds.  Aa 
t'xcelient  Physician,  in  a  late  composition  with  which 
lie  hao  favored  the  public,  supposes  that  the  sin  of  Asa, 
wiien  he  "sought  not  unto  the  Lord,  but  uuto  the  phy- 
sicians," wa3  both  occasioned  and  aggravated  by  this 
circiunsttince,  that  there  were  at  that  time  none  but 
magical  physicians.  But  others  have  thought  that 
some  of  Asa's  ancestors  had  been  medically  disposed, 
and  were  students  in  the  art  of  healing.  From  hence 
might  come  the  name  of  Asa,  which  in  Chaldee,  means 
physician.  On  this  account  the  king  might  have  the 
greater  esteem  for  those  v*  ho  were  skilled  in  medicine, 
and  might  put  such  a  confidence  in  them  as  to  neglect 
the  glorious  God,  the  only  author  and  giver  of  health. 
What  I  aim  at  in  this  paragraph  is,  to  encourage  a  con- 
duct the  reverse  of  all  this ;  that  my  honorable  Aga> 


*  Pharmacos,  in  Creek,  being  a  sorGevsr 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  125 


(such  the  SOU  of  Sirach  has  taught  me  to  call  him) 
ivould  lumself  continually  go  to  God  our  Savior,  aad 
as  far  as  possible  bring  all  his  patients  to  him  also. 

Finally — An  industrious  and  ingenious  gentleman  of 
your  profession  has  a  passage  in  his  Pharmacopoeia  Bu- 
leana,  which  I  will  here  insert,  because  very  many  of 
you  can  speak  the  same  language ;  and  by  inserting  it, 
I  hoi)e  to  increase  the  number. 

*'I  know  no  poor  creature  that  ever  came  to  me,  ia 
the  whole  course  of  my  practice,  that  once  went  from 
me,  without  my  desired  help,  gratis.  And  I  have  ac- 
counted the  restoration  of  such  a  poor  and  wretched 
creature,  a  greater  blessing  to  me,  than  if  I  had  pro- 
cured the  wealth  of  both  the  Indies.  1  cannot  so  well 
express  myself  concerning  this  matter^  as  I  can  con- 
ceive it ;  but  I  am  sure  I  should  have  been  more  pleas- 
ed, and  had  a  greater  satisfaction  in  seeing  such  a 
helpless  creature  restored  to  his  desired  health,  thau 
if  1  had  found  a  \evy  valuable  treasure.  As  I  can 
never  repent  of  the  good  which  1  have  done  this  way, 
so  1  resolve  to  continue  the  same  practice,  for  I  cer- 
tainly knovv^  that  I  have  had  the  signal  blessing  of  God 
Btteudijig  my  endeavors.*'* 


Proposals  io  Rich  Men. 


**l  WILL  get  me  unto  the  rich  men,  and  will  speali 

unto  them,"  for  they  will  know  the  ways  to  "do  good," 

and  will  think  what  they  shall  be  able  to  say  when 
L2. 


1'26  ESSATS  TO  DO  G00I7. 

iiiey  come  into  the  judgment  of  their  God.  A  per=os 
of  quality,  quoliiig  tliat  passage.,  "the  desire  of  a  m^ri 
is  his  Idadiiess,"  invited  me  so  to  read  it,  "the  only  de- 
sirable thing  in  a  man  is  his  goodness."  How  happy 
■would  the  world  be,  if  every  |}erson  of  quality  were  to 
become  of  this  persuasion  1  It  is  an  article  in  my  com- 
KiissioD,  '^charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this  world,  that 
they  do  good  that  they  be  rich  in  good  vforks,  ready  to 
distribute, willing  tocomraumcate.'*  In  pursuance  there- 
of, I  will  remind  rich  men  of  the  opportunities  to  "do 
good,"  with  which  God,  who  gives  power  to  get  wealth, 
has  favored  and  enriched  them.  It  is  a  very  good  ac- 
count that  has  been  soriietimes  given  of  a  good  man;  "as 
to  the  wealth  of  this  world,  he  knew  no  good  in  it,  but 
the  doing  of  good  with  it."  Yea,  those  men  who  have 
had  very  little  goodness  in  them,  yet  in  describing 
*'the  manners  of  the  age,"  in  which  perhaps  they  them- 
selves have  had  too  deep  a  share,  have  seen  occasion 
to  subscribe  and  publish  this  prime  dictate  of  reason : 
*'we  are  none  the  better  for  any  thing,  barely  for  the 
propriety's  sake ;  but  it  is  the  application  of  it  that 
gives  every  thing  its  value.  "Whoever  buries  his  tal' 
ent,  betrays  a  sacred  trust,  and  defrauds  those  who 
stand  in  need  of  it."  Sirs,  you  cannot  but  acknowl-. 
edge  that  it  is  the  sovereign  God  who  has  bestowed 
upon  you  the  riches  which  distinguish  you.  A  devit 
himself,  when  he  saw  a  rich  man,  could  not  but  make 
thia  acknowledgment  to  the  God  of  heaven :  "thou 
hast  blessed  the  w^ork  of  his  hands,  and  his  substance  is 
increased  in  the  land."  It  is  also  to  be  hoped,  that 
you  are  not  unmindful  that  the  riches  in  your  possess- 
ion are  some  of  the  talents  of  which  you  must  give  aa 
account  to  the  glorious  Lord  who  has  entrusted  yoa; 
-iYith  tiieoi;  and  that  you  will  give  your  account  witic 


FftSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  12T 


grief,  and  not  with  joy,  if  it  should  be  found  that  all 
your  properly  has  been  laid  out  to  gratify  the  appetites 
of  the  flesh,  and  little  or  nothing  of  it  consecrated  to 
the  service  of  God,  and  of  his  kingdo.'n  in  the  world. 
It  was  said  to  the  priests  of  old,  wlieu  the  servants 
were  assigned  them ;  "unto  you  they  are  given  as  a 
gift  for  the  Lord."  This  may  be  said  of  all  our  estates : 
w  hat  God  gives  us  is  not  given  us  for  oui'selves,  but  ''for 
the  Lord."  "When  God's  gifts  to  us  are  multiplied, 
our  obligations  to  give  are  niulti[)lied."*  Indeed  there 
is  hardiy  any  professor  of  Christianity  so  vicious  that 
he  will  not  confess  that  all  his  property  is  to  be  used 
for  honest  purposes,  and  part  of  it  for  pious  ones.  If 
any  plead  their  poverty  to  excuse  and  exempt  then* 
from  doing  any  thing  this  way :  O  thou  poor  widow 
with  thy  two  uiites,  eternised  in  the  history  of  the  gos-- 
pel,  thou  shalt  "rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  this  gen- 
eration, and  shall  condemn  it ;"  and  let  them  also  know^, 
that  they  take  a  course  to  condemn  and  confine  them- 
selves to  eternal  poverty. 

But  the  main  question  is,  what  proportion  of  a  manV 
income  is  to  be  devoted  to  pious  uses  "^  And  now,  let 
it  Dofseem  a  "hard  saying,"'  if  I  tell  you  that  a  tenth 
part  is  the  least  that  yon  can  bring  under  a  more  sol- 
emn dedication  to  the  Lord;  for  whom,  in  one  sense,  we 
are  to  lay  out  our  all.  A  farthing  less  would  make  an 
enlightened  and  considerate  christian  suspicious  of  his 
yicurring  the  danger  of  sacrilege.  But  the  pious  uses 
for  which  your  tenths  are  thus  challenged,  I  do  not  in- 
tend only  the  maintenance  of  the  evangelical  minis- 
try, but  also  the  relief  of  the  miserable,  whom  our  mer- 
ciful Savior  has  made  the  receivers  of  his  rents ;  to- 


^  Cum  crescunt  dona,  crescunt  etlam  rationes  donoruro. 


12S  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


gether  vdth  all  that  is  to  be  more  directly  done  for  the 
preserving  and  promoting  of  piety  in  the  world.  Since 
there  is  a  part  of  every  man's  revenues  due  to  the  glo- 
rious Lord,  and  to  purposes  of  piety,  it  is  not  tit  that 
the  determination  of  what  part  it  must  be,  should  be 
left  to  such  hearts  as  ours.  My  friend,  thou  hast,  it 
may  be,  too  high  an  opinion  of  thy  ow  n  wisdom  and 
goodness,  if  nothing  but  thy  own  carnal  heart  is  to  de- 
termine what  proportion  of  thy  revenues  are  to  be  laid 
out  for  Him,  whom  thou  art  so  ready  to  forget  when  he 
has  tilled  thee.  But  if  the  Lord  himself,  to  whom  thou 
art  but  a  steward,  has  fixed  on  any  part  of  our  usual  in* 
eome  for  himself,  as  it  is  most  reasonable  that  he 
should  have  the  fixing  of  it,  certainly  a  tenth  will  be 
found  the  least  that  he  has  called  for.  A  tenth  is  the 
least  part  in  the  first  division  of  numbers,  which  is  that 
of  units.  Grotius  remarks  it,  as  the  foundation  of  the 
laws  of  tithes ;  "almost  all  nations  reckon  by  tens/'* 
It  is  but  reasonable,  and  the  very  light  of  nature  will 
declare  for  it,  that  the  great  God,  who  with  a  seventh. 
day  is  owned  as  the  Creator,  should  with  a  tenth  part 
be  acknowledged  as  the  possessor  of  all  things.  We 
do  not  allow  him  so  much  as  the  least,  if  we  withhold  a 
tenth  from  him :  less  than  that,  is  less  than  what  all. 
nations  make  the  least.  Certainly  to  withhold  this,  is 
to  withhold  more  than  is  proper.  Sirs,  you  know  the 
tendency  of  this.  Long  before  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tion of  tlje  law,  we  find  tliat  this  was  Jacob's  vow ;  "the 
Lord  shall  be  my  God,  and  of  all  that  thou  shalt  give 
me,  I  will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee."  It  seems 
we  do  not  sufficiently  declare  that  ''the  Lord  is  cur 
God,"  if  we  do  not  give  a  tenth  to  him.    And  how  caa 

•  Numcr^^  deaarliw  gentibua  fgrme  Gun*ti§  cuuierandj- 
finis  cit» 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOU.  129 


we  approve  oureslves  '^Israelites  indeed,"  if  we  slight 
such  an  example  as  thai  of  our  father  Jacob.  I  will 
ascend  a  little  higher.  In  one  text  we  read  that  our 
father  Abraham  "gave  Melchisedeli  the  tenth  of  all." 
In  another  text  we  read  of  our  Savior  Jesus,  "thou  art 
a  priest  forever  after  the  order  of  Melchisedek."  From 
hence  I  form  this  conclusion  :  the  rights  of  Melchise- 
dek belong  to  our  Jesus,  the  royal  high  priest  now  offi- 
ciating for  us  in  the  heavens.  The  tenths  were  the 
rights  of  Melchisedek  ;  therefore  the  tenths  belong  to 
our  Jesus.  I  do  in  my  conscience  believe  that  this  ar- 
gument cannot  be  answered ;  and  the  man  who  at- 
tempts it  seems  to  darken  the  evidence  of  his  being 
one  of  the  true  children  of  Abraham. 

I  now  renew  my  appeal  to  the  light  of  nature :  to 
nature  thou  shalt  go !  It  is  very  certain  that  the  Pagans 
used  to  decimate  for  sacred  uses.  Pliny  tells  us,  that 
the  Arabians  did  so.  Xenophon  informs  us,  that  the 
Grecians  had  the  same  practice.  You  find  the  cus- 
tom to  be  as  ancient  as  the  pen  of  Herodotus  can  make 
it.  It  is  confirmed  by  Pausanias  and  Diodorus  Sicu- 
Ills,  and  a  whole  army  of  authors  besides  Doughty,  have 
related  and  asserted  it.  I  will  only  introduce  Festua 
to  speak  for  them  all  :  "the  ancients  otTered  to  their 
gods  the  tenth  of  every  thing."*  Christian,  wilt  thou 
do  less  for  thy  God  than  the  poor  perishing  Pagans  did 
for  theirs?  "0  tell  it  not"— but  this  I  will  tell;  that 
they  who  have  conscientiously  employed  their  tenths 
in  pious  uses,  have  usually  been  remarkably  blessed  in 
their  estates,  by  the  providence  of  God.  The  blessing 
has  been  sometimes  delayed,  with  some  trial  of  their 
patience  :  Not  for  any  injustice  in  their  hands ;  their 
prayer  has  been  "pure."     And  their  belief  of  the  fu* 


*  Decima  quseque  veteres  Diis  suis  ofierbaatu 


J39  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


ture  state  has  been  sometimes  tried,  by  their  meeting 
with  losses  and  disappointments.  But  then,  their  little 
has  been  bo  blessed  as  to  be  still  a  competency  ;  and 
God  has  so  favored  them  with  contentment,  that  it  has 
yielded  more  than  the  abundance  of  many  others. 
Very  frequently  too,  they  have  been  rewarded  with 
remarkable  success  in  their  affairs,  and  increase  of 
their  property ;  and  even  in  this  world  have  seen  the 
fulfilment  of  those  promises ;  "cast  thy  grain  into  the 
moist  ground,  and  thou  fihalt  find  it  after  many  days."^ 
"Honor  the  Lord  with  thy  substance ;  so  shall  thy 
barns  be  filled  with  plenty."  History  has  given  us  ma- 
ny delightful  examples  of  those  who  have  had  their 
decimations  followed  and  rewarded  by  a  surprising 
prosperity  of  their  affairs.  Obscure  mechanics  and 
busbandmen  have  risen  to  estates,  of  which  once  they 
had  not  the  most  distant  expectation.  The  excellent 
Gouge,  in  his  treatise,  entitled,  "the  surest  and  safest 
way  of  thriving,"  has  collected  some  such  examples. 
The  Jewish  proverb,  "decima,  ut  dives  fias — tithe, 
and  be  rich,"  would  be  oftener  verified,  if  more  fre- 
quently practised.  "Prove  me  now  herewith,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hostSjif  I  will  not  pour  out  a  bkssing  upon 
you." 

But  let  the  demand  of  "liberal  things"  grow  upon 
you ;  a  tenth  I  have  called  the  least  ;  for  some  it  is 
much  too  little.  Men  of  large  incomes,  who  would 
Hot  "sow  to  their  flesh,  and  of  the  fiesh  reap  corrup- 
tion,'* may  and  will  often  go  beyond  this  proportion. 
Some  rise  to  a  Jifth  ;  and  the  religious  countess  of  War- 
wick would  not  stop  at  any  thing  short  of  a  third.^- 
Gentlemen  of  fortune,  who  are  my  readers,  would  per- 
haps excuse  me  if  I  were  to  carry  them  no  higher  than 
Ibisj  and  to  say  nothings  to  them  of  a  Johaanes  Elee* 


E98AYS  T«  no  SOOll.  15 1 


inosynariu?,  who  annually  made  a  distribution  of  aZ^  to 
jiious  uses  ;  and  having  settled  his  affairs,  said,  "I  bless 
God  that  1  have  now  nothing  left  but  ray  Lord  and  Mas- 
ter, Chiist,  whom  I  long  to  be  with,  and  to  whom  I  can 
now  fly  with  unentangled  wings."  Yet  I  will  mention 
to  them  the  example  of  some  eminent  merchants,  who 
having  obtained  moderate  and  competent  estates,  have 
resolved  never  to  be  richer.  They  have  carried  on 
brisk  and  extensive  trades,  but  whatever  profits  raised 
their  incomes  above  the  fixed  sum,  they  have  entirely 
<levoted  to  pious  uses.  Were  any  of  them  losers  by 
this  conduct?  Not  one. 

The  Christian  emperor  Tiberius  II.  was  famous  for 
his  religious  bounties :  his  empress  thought  him  even 
profuse  in  them.  But  he  told  her  that  he  should  never 
vant  money  so  long  as,  in  obedience  to  a  glorious 
Christ,  he  should  supply  the  necessities  of  the  poor, 
and  abound  in  religious  benevolence.  Once,  immedi- 
ately after  he  had  made  a  liberal'distribution,  he  unex- 
pectedly found  a  mighty  treasure,  and  at  the  same 
time  tidings  were  brought  t©  him  of  the  death  of  a  very 
rich  man  who  had  bequeathed  to  him  all  his  wealth. 
And  men  in  far  humbler  stations  can  relate  very  many 
and  interesting  anecdotes  of  this  nature,  ev«n  from 
their  own  happy  experience.  1  cannot  forbear  trans- 
cribing some  lines  of  my  honored  Gouge  on  this  occa- 
«ion: 

*'I  am  verily  persuaded  that  there  is  scarcely  any 
man  who  gives  to  the  poor  proportionably  to  what  God 
has  bestowed  on  him  ;  but,  if  he  observe  the  dealings  of 
God's  providence  towards  him  will  find  the  same  doub- 
led and  redoubled  upon  him  in  temporal  blessings.  I 
dare  challenge  all  the  world  to  produce  or.e  instanccj 
(or  at  least  any  considerable  number  of  inatauces)  of  a 


132  ESSAYS  TO  BO  GOOD. 


merciful  man,  whose  charity  has  undone  him.  On  the 
contrary,  as  the  more  living  wells  are  exhausted,  the 
more  freely  they  spring  and  flow  ;  so  the  substance  of 
charitable  men  frequently  multiplies  in  the  very  dis* 
tribution :  even  as  the  five  loaves  and  few  fishes  multi- 
plied, while  being  broken  and  distributed,  and  as  the 
widow's  oil  increased  by  being  poured  out." 

I  will  add  a  consideration  w  hich,  methinks,  will  act 
as  a  powerful  motive  upon  the  common  feelings  of  hu- 
man nature.  Let  rich  men,  who  are  not  "rich  towards 
God,"  especially  such  as  have  no  children  of  their  own 
to  make  their  heirs,  consider  the  vile  ingratitude  with 
which  their  successors  will  treat  them.  Sirs,  they  w  ill 
hardly  allow  you  a  tombstone ;  but,  wallowing  in  the 
wealth  you  have  left  them,  and  complaining  that  you 
left  it  no  sooner,  they  will  insult  your  memory  and 
ridicule  your  economy  and  parsimony.  How  much 
wiser  would  it  be  for  you  to  do  good  with  your  estates 
while  you  live,  and  at  your  death  to  dispose  of  them 
in  a  manner  which  may  embalm  your  names  to  poster- 
ity, and  be  for  your  advantage  in  the  world  to  which 
you  are  going  ?  That  your  souls  may  ^njoy  the  good 
of  paradisaical  reflections,  at  the  same  time  that  other* 
are  inheriting  what  you  have  left  to  them. 

I  will  only  annex  the  compliment  of  a  certain  per- 
son to  his  friend,  upon  his  accession  to  an  estate ;  "much 
good  may  it  do  you ;  that  is,  much  good  may  you  do 
with  it." 

I  hope  we  are  now  ready  for  proposals  ;  and  that 
we  shall  set  ourselves  to  "devise  liberal  things." 

Gentlemen !  To  relieve  the  necessities  of  the  poor  is 
a  thing  acceptable  to  the  cocipassionate  God,  who  haa 
given  to  you  what  he  might  have  given  to  them,  and 
has  given  it  to  you  that  you  might  have  the  honor  and 


ESSAYS  TO  fiO  GOOD.  13, 


pleasure  of  imparting  it  to  tliem  ;  and  who  has  said, 
-he  that  hath  pity  upon  the  poor,  lendcth  unto  the 
Lord."  The  more  you  regard  the  command  and  ex- 
ample of  a  glorious  Christ  in  what  you  do  this  way,  the 
more  assurance  you  have  that  in  the  day  of  God  you 
shall  joyfully  hear  him  saying,  "you  have  done  it  un- 
to me."  And  the  more  humble,  silent,  reserved  mo- 
desty you  express,  concealing  even  from  the  left  hand 
what  is  done  with  the  right,  the  more  you  are  assured 
of  a  great  reward  in  the  heavenly  Vvorld.  Such  liberal 
men,  it  is  observed,  are  generally  long  lived  men  ; 
("gathering  the  fruit  relieves  the  tree"*)  and  at  last 
they  pass  from  this  into  everlasting  life. 


Proposals  la  Ladies* 

TftE  true  Lady  is  one  who  feeds  the  poor,  and  re- 
lieves their  inJigeuce.f  la  the  days  of  primitive  Chris- 
tianity, ladies  of  the  first  quality  would  seek  out  the 
sick,  visit  hospitals,  see  what  help  they  wanted,  and 
assist  them  with  an  admirable  alacrity.  What  a  "good 
report"  have  the  mother  and  sister  of  Nazianzen  ob- 
tained from  his  pen,  for  their  unwearied  bounty  to  the 


*  Fructus  liberal  arborem. 
•j-  The  foUovving'  is  supposed  to  be  the  etymology  of  the 
•word  Lady.  It  was  at  fii'st  Leafdian,  from  Leaf  or  Laf, 
which  sitynifies  a  loaf  of  bread,  and  D'ian  to  serve.  It  was 
afterwards  corrupted  to  La/dy,  and  at  length  to  L.idy.  Sa 
that  it  appeal's,  the  original  meaning^  of  the  term  implies 
»>ie  %iho  distributes  bread, 

M. 


154  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


poor'.  Empresses  themselves  have  stooped  (o  relieve 
the  miserable,  and  never  appeared  so  truly  great  as 
"when  they  thus  stooped. 

A  very  proper  season  for  your  alms  is,  when  yon 
keep  your  days  of  prayer ;  that  your  prayers  and  your 
alms  may  go  up  together  as  a  memorial  before  the 
liord.  Verily,  there  are  prayers  in  alms :  and,  "is 
not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  choseii,  saith  the  Lord." 
The  expression  of  the  beggar  among  the  Jews  was ; 
"deserve  something  by  me  :"  Among  us  it  might  be  ; 
**obtaia  something  by  me." 


MiscellaneGUs  proposals  to  Gentlemen* 

There  is  a  certain  city,  in  which  every  house  lias 
a  box  hanging  by  a  chain,  on  which  is  written,  "re- 
member the  poor ;  and  they  seldom  conclude  a  bargain 
without  putting  something  into  the  box.  The  deacons 
have  the  key,  and  once  a  quarter  go  round  the  city» 
and  take  out  the  money.  When  that  city  was  in  im- 
minent danger,  a  man  of  moderate  character  was  hearil 
to  say,  "that  he  was  of  opinion,  God  would  preserve 
that  city  from  being  destroyed,  if  it  were  only  for  the 
great  charity  which  its  inhabitants  express  to  the 
poor."  It  is  the  richest  city  of  the  richest  country, 
for  its  size,  that  ever  existed :  a  city  which  is  thought 
to  spend,  annually,  in  charitable  uses,  more  than 
all  the  revenues  which  the  fine  country  of  the  grand 
duke  of  Tuskaoy  brings  into  its  arbitrary  master. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  ISS 


*'The  hands  of  the    poor   are    the   treasury-box   of 
Chrisl."^ 

When  you  dispense  your  ahna  to  the  poor,  ^vho 
know  what  it  is  to  pray»  you  may  oblige  them  to  pray 
for  you  by  name  every  day.  It  is  an  excellent  thing 
to  have  the  blessing  of  those  who  have  been  ready 
to  perish,  thus  coming  upon  you.  Observe  here  a  sur- 
prising sense,  in  which  you  may  be  ''praying  always." 
You  are  so,  even  while  you  are  sleeping,  if  those 
whom  you  have  thus  obliged  are  praying  for  you . 
And  now  look  for  the  accomplishment  of  that  word  : 
**B!essed  is  he  that  considereth  the  poor  :  the  Lord 
will  preserve  him,  and  keep  him  alive,  and  he  shall 
be  blessed  upon  the  earth." 

Very  frequently  your  alms  are  dispersed  among 
such  persons  as  very  much  need  admonitions  of  piety. 
Cannot  you  contrive  to  mingle  a  spirilual  charity  with 
your  temporal  bounty  ?  Perhaps  you  may  discourse 
with  them  about  the  state  of  their  souls,  and  may  ob- 
tain from  them,  (for  which  you  have  now  a  singular 
advantage)  some  declared  resolutions  to  do  what  they 
ought  to  do.  Or  else  you  may  convey  to  them  little 
book',  or  tracts,  which  they  will  certainly  pror.nse  to 
read,  when  you  thus  desire  them. 

Charity  to  the  souls  of  men  is  undoubtedly  the  high- 
est, the  noblest,  and  the  most  important  charity.  To  « 
furnish  (lie  poor  with  catechisms  and  Bibles,  is  to  do 
for  them  an  incalculable  service.  No  one  knows  how 
much  he  may  do  by  dispersing  books  of  piety,  and  hy 
putting  into  the  hands  of  mankind  such  treatises  of  di- 
vinity as  may  have  a  tendency  to  make  them  wiser 
or  better.  It  was  a  noble  action  of  some  good  men, 
^'ho,  a  little  while  ago,  were  at  the  charge  of  printing 

*  Manus  pauperum  est  Christi  ^azophylaciunif 


136  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOfi. 


thirty  thousand  of  the  "Alarm  to  the  Unconverted," 
written  by  Joseph  Allein,  to  be  given  away  to  such  as 
would  promise  to  read  it.  A  man  of  no  great  fortune 
has  been  known  to  give  away  without  much  trouble 
nearly  a  thousand  books  of  piety,  every  year  for  many 
years  together.  Who  can  tell,  but  that  with  the  ex- 
pense of  less  than  a  shilling,  you  may  "convert  a  sin- 
ner from  the  error  of  his  ways,  and  save  a  soul  from 
death.''  A  worse  doom  than  to  be  "condemned  to  the 
mines"  rests  upon  that  soul  who  had  rather  hoard  up 
his  money  than  employ  it  on  such  a  charity. 

He  who  supports  the  oHice  of  the  evangelical  min- 
istry supports  a  good  work,  and  performs  one  ;  yea,  in 
a  secondary  way,  performs  what  is  done  by  the  skil- 
ful, faithful  and  laborious  minister.  The  servant  of 
the  Lord,  who  is  encouraged  by  you,  will  do  the  more 
good  for  your  assistance  :  and  what  you  have  done  for 
him,  and  in  consideration  of  the  glorious  gospel 
preached  by  him,  you  have  done  for  a  glorious  Christ ; 
and  you  sbail  "receive  a  prophet's  reward."  Luther 
said ;  "what  you  give  to  scholars,  you  give  to  God 
himself."*  This  is  still  more  true,  when  the  scholars 
are  become  godly  and  useful  preachers. 

I  have  somewhere  met  with  the  following  passage  : 
*'it  was  for  several  years  the  practice  of  a  worthy  gen^ 
tleman,  in  renewing  his  leases,  instead  of  making 
it  a  condition  that  his  tenanfs  should  keep  a  hawk  or 
a  dog  for  him,  to  oblige  them  to  keep  a  Bible  in  their 
houses,  antj  to  bring  up  their  children  to  read  and  to  be 
catechised."  Landlords  !  It  is  worth  your  considera- 
tion whether  you  may  not  in  your  leases  insert  some 
clauses  that  may  serve  the  kingdom  of  God.  You  are 
his  tenants  in  those  very  freeholds  in  which  you  are 

*  Si  q^ld  scholas'dcis  confers,  Deo  ipsi  contulhti. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  137 

landlords  to  other  men.  Oblige  your  tenants  to  wor- 
ship God  in  their  families. 

To  take  a  poor  child,  especially  an  orphan,  left  in 
poverty,  and  to  bestow  a  liberal  education  upon  it,  i« 
an  admirable  charity ;  yea,  it  may  draw  after  it  a  long 
train  of  good,  and  may  interest  j^ou  in  all  the  good 
that  shall  be  done  by  him  whom  you  have  educated. 

Hence  also,  what  is  done  for  schools,  for  colleges, 
and  for  hospitals,  is  done  for  the  general  good.  The 
endowment  or  maintenance  of  these  is  at  once  to  do 
good  to  many. 

But  alas !  how  much  of  the  silver  and  gold  of  the 
world  is  buried  in  bands,  where  it  is  little  better  thaa 
conveyed  back  to  the  mines  from  whence  it  came  t 
How  much  of  it  is  employed  to  as  little  purpose  as  what 
arrives  at  Hindbostan,  where  a  great  part  of  it  is,  af- 
ter some  circulation,  carried  as  to  a  fatal  centre,  and 
by  the  Moguls  lodged  in  subterraneous  caves,  never  to 
see  the  light  again!  "The  Christian,  whose  faith  and. 
hope  are  genuine,  acts  not  thus."* 

Sometimes  elaborate  compositions  may  be  prepared 
for  the  press,  works  of  great  bulk,  and  of  still  greater 
ivorlh,  by  which  the  best  interests  of  knowledge  and 
Tirtue  may  be  considerably  promoted ;  but  they  lie, 
like  the  impotent  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethseda,  in  si- 
lent neglect;  and  are  likely  to  continue  in  that  state, 
till  God  inspire  some  wealthy  persons  nobly  to  sub- 
scribe  to  their  j)ublication,  and  by  this  generous  appli- 
cation of  their  property,  to  bring  them  abroad.  The 
names  of  such  noble  benefactors  to  mankind  ought  to 
live  as  long  as  the  works  themselves :  and  where  the 
works  do  any  good,  what  these  have  done  towards  the 


•  Talia  non  facit  botije  fidei  S;  spei  ChrlsUanusr 


13S  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


publishing  of  them,  ought  to  be  "told  for  a  memorial  * 
of  them. 

I  will  pursue  this  subject  still  farther,  it  has  beeii 
said  that  "idle  gentlemen,  and  idle  beggars,  are  the 
pests  of  the  commonwealth."  The  saying  may  seem 
affronting,  but  they  who  are  offended  at  it,  must  quar- 
rel with  the  ashes  of  a  bishop,  for  it  was  Dr.  Sander- 
son's. Will  you  then  think,  sirs,  of  some  honorable 
and  agreeable  employments?  I  will  mention  one :  The 
Pythagoreans  forbade  men's  "eating  their  own  brains," 
or  'keeping  their  good  thoughts  to  themselves."  '  The 
incomparable  Boyle  observes,  that  "as  to  religious 
books,  in  general,  those  which  have  been  written  by 
laymen,  and  especially  by  gentlemen,  have  (cs3(eri& 
parii  us)  been  better  received,  and  more  effectual,  than 
those  published  by  clergymen."  Mr.  Boyle's  were 
certainly  so.  Men  of  quality  have  frequently  attained 
such  accomplishments  in  languages  and  science,  that 
they  have  become  prodigies  of  literature.  Their  li- 
braries also  have  seen  stupendous  collections,  ap- 
proaching towards  Vatican  or  Bodleian  dimensions. 
An  English  gentleman  has  been  sometimes  the  most 
*'accomnIished  person  in  the  world*"  Hovyt  many  of 
these  (besides  a  Leigh,  a  Wolsely,  or  a  Polhill)  have 
been  benefactors  to  mankind  by  their  admirable  writ- 
ings t  It  were  much  to  be  wished  that  persons  of  wealth 
and  elevation  would  qualify  themselves  for  the  use  of 
the  pen  as  well  as  of  the  sword,  and  deserve  this  eulO" 
gium,  "they  have  written  excellent  things"  An  Eng- 
lish person  of  quality,  in  his  treatise,  entitled,  '-A  View 
of  the  Soul,"  has  the  following  passage  :  ''It  is  certain- 
ly the  highest  dignity,  if  not  the  grealest  happiness,  of 
which  human  nature  is  capable  in  the  vale  below,  to 
have  the  soul  so  far  enlightened,  as  to  become  the  iric- 


ESSAYS    TO  no  GOOD,  JjO 


ror,  or  conduit,  or  conveyor  of  God's  Initli  to  otliers." 
It  is  a  bad  motto  for  a  man  of  capacity,  "my  under- 
standing is  unfruitful."  Gentlemen,  consider  what 
SHlyects  may  most  properly  and  usefully  fall  under 
your  cultivation.  Your  pens  will  stab  atheism  and  vice 
more  effectually  than  other  men's.  If  out  of  j'oiir 
"Tribe"  there  come  forth  "those  who  handle  the  pen  of 
the  writer,"  they  will  do  uncommon  execution.  One  of 
them  has  ingeniously  said,  "though  I  know  some  func- 
iions,  yet  I  know  no  truths  of  religion,  which,  like  the 
shew  bread,  are  only  for  the  ])riests."* 

I  will  present  to  you  but  one  proposal  more,  and  it 
is  this,  that  you  would  wisely  choose  a  friend  of  good 
abilities,  of  warm  affections,  and  of  excellent  piety,  (a 
minister  of  such  a  character  if  you  can)  and  entreat 
liira,  yea,  oblige  him  to  study  for  you.  and  to  suggest 
to  you  opportunities  to  do  good.  Make  him,  as  .ini" 
brosius  did  his  Origen^  your  Monitor.  Let  him  advise 
you  from  time  to  time,  what  good  you  may  do.  Let 
iiim  see  that  he  never  gratifies  you.  more  than  by  hi? 
advice  on  this  head.  If  a  David  have  a  Seer  to  per- 
form such  an  office  for  him,  one  who  may  search  for 
occasions  of  doing  good,  what  extensive  services  may 
be  done  for  the  temple  of  God  in  the  world  t 

Let  me  only  add,  that  when  gentlemen  occasional- 
ly meet  together,  why  should  not  their  conversation 
correspond  with  their  superior  station  ?  They  should 
deem  it  beneath  them  to  employ  the  conversation  on 
trifling  subjects,  or  in  such  a  way  that,  if  it  were  se- 
cretly taken  ia  short  hand,  they  would  blu?h  to  hear 
it  repeated  f     Sirs,  it  becomes  a  gentlemen  to  enter- 


•    •  *  Malt.  xli.  4. 

f  *'Nihil  scd  nug-se,  et  risus,  et  verba  proferuntur  in  vent- 
iim" — iVothins^  but  jesting,  and  lavighi-ig-j  and  v/urds  scat- 
tered by  ibc  wind, 


140  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 

tain  his  company  with  the  finest  thoughts  on  the  finesf 
themes ;  and  certainly  there  cannot  be  a  subject  so 
worthy  of  a  gentleman  as  this,  what  good  is  there  to  be 
done  in  the  world  ?  Were  this  noble  subject  more  fre- 
quently started  in  the  conversation  of  gentlemen,  in- 
credible good  might  be  achieved. 

I  will  conclude  by  saying,  yoH  must  accept  of  any 
public  service,  of  which  you  are  capable,  when  you  are 
called  to  it.  Honest  Jeans  has  this  pungent  passage  : 
'*The  world  applauds  the  prudent  retirement  of  those 
■who  bury  their  parts  and  gifts  in  an  obscure  privacy, 
tliough  they  have  a  fair  call,  both  from  God  and  man, 
to  public  engagements  :  but  the  terrible  censure  of 
these  men  by  Jesus  Christ  at  the  last  day,  will  prove 
them  to  have  been  the  most  arrant  fools  that  ever  lived 
on  the  face  of  the  earth."  The  fault  of  not  employing 
our  talent  for  the  public  good  is  justly  styled,  "a  great 
sacrilege  in  the  temple  of  the  God  of  Nature."  It  was 
a  sad  age  of  which  Tacitus  said, 
^vas  wisdom."* 


Prciposals  to  Churchy  Civil  and  Military  Officen, 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  one  of  our  first  proposals 
was,  that  every  one  should  consider,  *'what  can  I  do 
for  the  service  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  man?'*    It 

*  T.nertla  fuit  sapkntia. 


ESSAYf!  TO  DO  G©OD.  141 

may  be  hoped  that  all  officers,  as  such,  will  conform  to 
what  has  been  proposed.  It  should  be  the  concern  of 
all  officer.-*,  from  the  emperor  to  the  enomotarch,  to  do 
all  the  good  they  can;  there  is,  therefore,  the  less  oc- 
casion to  make  a  more  particular  application  to  hifcn- 
or  officers  of  various  kinds,  all  of  whom  have  opportu- 
nities io  do  good,  more  or  less,  in  their  hands.  How- 
ever, they  shall  not  all  have  reason  to  complain  of  be- 
ing neglected. 

In  some  churches  there  are  eldei'S,^  wlio  "rule  well," 
though  they  do  not  "labor  in  the  word  and  doctrine." 
It  becomes  such  persons  often  to  ioquire,  "what  shall 
I  do  to  prevent  strife,  or  any  other  sin,  that  may  be- 
come a  root  of  bitterness  in  the  church ;  and  that 
Christ  and  holiness  may  reign  in  it;  and  that  the  min- 
istry of  the  pastor  may  be  countenanced,  encouraged, 
and  i)rospered  ?"  Their  visits  of  the  flock,  and  their  en- 
deavors to  prepare  the  people  for  special  ordinances, 
may  be  of  great  advantage  to  the  state  of  religion. 

There  are  Deacons  also,  with  whom  the  temporal  aj- 
fairs  of  the  church  are  entrusted.  It  would  be  well,  if 
they  would  frequently  inquire,  "what  may  I  do  that  the 
treasury  of  Christ  may  be  increased  .^  What  may  I  do 
that  the  life  of  my  faithful  pastor  may  be  rendered  more 
comfortable  ?  What  members  of  the  flock  do  I  think 
deficient  in  their  contributions  to  support  the  interests 
of  the  gospel,  and  what  shall  I  say  "with  great  bold- 
jif  ss  in  the  faith"  to  them,  on  the  subject  ?" 

In  the  State  there  are  many  officers,  to  whom  the 
most  significant  and  comprehensive  proposal  that  can 
he  made  would  be,  to  consider  their  oaths.  If  they 
would  seriously  reflect  on  the  duties  to   which  their 


•j  In  primitive  times, Ecclesia  sciaores  habuit— the  church 
JuvdiLs  elders. 


142  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


oaths  oblige  them,  and  would  carefully  perform  those 
duties,  a  great  deal  of  good  would  be  done.  But  we 
must  a  little  particularize : 

As  the  representatives  of  any  place  have  opportuni- 
ties to  do  good  to  the  people  at  large,  so  they  should 
be  particularly  solicitous  for  the  p"ood  of  that  place 
which  has  elected  them.  Their  inquiry  should  be> 
"what  motions  may  I  brn^  forward  which  will  be  for 
the  public  good,  or  for  the  advantage  of  my  constitu- 
ents ?" 

Those,  whom  we  call  the  ^^select  men"'  of  a  town,, 
will  disappoint  the  expectations  which  are  justly  form- 
ed of  them,  if  they  do  not  diligently  consider,  "what 
shall  I  do  that  I  may  be  a  blessing  to  the  town  which 
I  am  now  to  serve  ?" 

Grand] ury men  may  ve\y  profitably  inquire,  "what 
growing  evils  or  nuisances  do  I  discover,  which  I  shali 
do  well  to  make  public  ?"  They  should  hold  their  con- 
sultations upon  these  matters,  as  men  in  earnest  for  the 
good  of  the  country.  Indeed  all  jurymen  should  be 
good  men.  Our  old  compellation  of  a  neighbor  by  the 
title  of  goodman  ha&thi&  origin;  it  was  as  much  as  to 
say,  one  qualified  to  serve  on  a  jury.  Let  such  there- 
fore answer  their  original  designation,  by  doing  good, 
and  by  contriving  bow  they  may  do  it. 

Why  should  Constables  be  excused  from  these  obli- 
gations ?  Their  name  (Constabularius)  was  first  deriv- 
ed from  the  care  of  "making  unruly  horses  stand  well 
together  in  the  stable."  Sirs,  you  have  it  in  your  pow- 
er to  do  much  good  by  being  "masters  of  restraints,'* 
in  your  walks  and  otherwise,  to  unruly  cattle.  What 
are  vicious  persons,  though  perhaps  in  honorable  sta- 
tions, but  like  the  beasts !  Well  disposed  constables 
kave  done  wonderful  things  in  a  town,  to  promote  good 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD,  143 


order.  I  must  therefore  beg  them  to  put  to  themselves 
the  same  question ;  "what  good  may  I  do  ?" 

Where  tithing-mcn  are  chosen  and  sworn,  they  have 
an  opportunity  of  doing  more  than  a  little  good,  if  they 
will  conscientiously  perform  their  duty.  Let  them 
well  study  the  laws  which  lay  down  their  duty,  and  let 
them  also  make  the  same  inquiry;  "what  good  may  I 
do  ?"  Let  them  consult  with  one  another  at  certain 
limes,  in  order  to  (ind  out  what  they  have  it  in  their 
power  to  do,  and  to  assist  and  strengthen  one  another 
in  doing  it.     I  have  now  done  with  the  civil  list. 

Military  Commanders  have  their  opportunities  io 
*'do  good."  They  do  this  in  an  eminent  degree  when 
they  support  exercises  of  piety  in  their  several  compa- 
nies and  regiments,  and  when  they  rebuke  the  vices  of 
the  camp  with  due  severity.  Might  not  societies  to 
suppress  these  vices  be  formed  in  the  camp,  to  very 
good  purpose,  under  their  inspection  ?  If  the  soldiers 
ask,  "what  shall  we  do  ?"  all  my  answer  at  present  is, 
Sirs,  consider  what  you  have  to  do. 

Commanders  at  sea  have  their  opportunities  also. 
The  more  absolute  they  are  in  their  command,  the 
greater  are  their  opportunities.  The  worship  of  God 
seriously  and  constantly  maintained  aboard,  will  have 
a  very  happy  effect.  A  body  of  good  orders  hung  up 
in  the  steerage  may  produce  consequences  for  which 
all  the  people  in  the  vessel  may  at  last  have  reason  to 
be  thankful.  Books  of  piety  should  also  be  taken 
aboard,  and  the  men  should  be  desired  to  retire  for  the 
perusal  of  them,  and  for  other  pious  exercises. 


34i  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


Proposals  to  Lawyers. 

But  whilst  our  book  seems  to  have  so  far  dischargee! 
lis  office  and  intention  of  a  counsellor,  as  to  leave  no 
further  expectations,  a  considerable  number  of  persons? 
present  themselves  to  our  notice,  who  would  have  just 
cause  for  complaint,  if  among  proposals  to  do  good,  they 
should  remain  unnoticed.  Some  whom  we  do  not  find 
among  those  who  addressed  the  blessed  morning  star  of 
our  Savior  for  his  direction,  yet  ^re  now  found^^mong 
those  wlio  inquire,  "and  what  shall  we  do?"  I  refer  to 
the  gentlemen  of  the  law,  who  have  that  in  their  hands, 
the  end  of  which  is  "to  do  good;"  and  the  perversion 
of  which  from  its  professed  end  is  one  of  the  worst  of 
evils. 

Gentlemen,  your  opportunities  to  do  good  are  such, 
tiiat  proposals  of  what  you  are  able  to  do,  cannot  but 
promise  themselves  an  obliging  reception  with  you. 
You  have  considerable  advantages  for  this  purpose, 
arising  from  your  liberal  and  gentlemanly  education : 
for  with  respect  even  to  the  common  pleaders  at  the 
bar,  I  hope  that  maxim  of  the  law  will  not  be  forgot- 
ten :  "the  situation  of  a  lawyer  is  so  dignified,  that  none 
should  be  raised  to  it  from  a  mean  condition  in  life."* 
Things  are  not  come  to  so  bad  a  state  that  an  honest 
lawyer  should  require  a  statue,  as  the  honest  publican  of 
old  did,  merely  on  the  score  of  rarity.  You  may,  if 
you  aim  at  it,  be  entitled  to  one  on  the  score  of  univer- 
sal and  meritorious  usefulness. 


*  Dlgnitas  advocatorum  non  patitur  ut  in  earn  reclplatur; 
q^ui  antea  fuerat  viJJoris  conditionis. 


ASSAYS    TO  DO  GOOD.  115 


In  oTtler  to  your  being  useful,  sirs,  it  is  necessary 
that  you  should  be  skilful ;  and  that  you  may  arrive  at 
an  excellent  skill  in  the  law,  you  will  be  well  advised 
what  authors  to  study:  on  this  point,  it  maj'^  be  of  the 
utmost  consequence  to  be  well  advised.  The  knowl- 
edge of  your  own  statute  lam  is  inconfestibiy  needfuK 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  common  law,  which  musL 
tiontinually  accompany  the  execution  of  it.  Here, 
besides  useful  dictionaries,  you  hare  your  Cook,  Vaug- 
han,  Windgate,  <SjCa  «^c.  with  whom  you  may  converse. 
I  am  sorry  to  find  a  gentleman,  about  the  middle  of  the 
former  century,  complaining  of  the  English  law,  "that 
the  books  ef  it  cannot  be  perused,  Avith  any  delibera- 
tion, under  three  or  four  years,  and  that  the  expense  of 
1  hem  is  enormous."  I  do  not  propose  so  tedious  a  task ; 
for  the  civil  law  must  also  be  known  by  those  who 
would  te  fully  acquainted  with  legal  proceedings. 
Huge  vofumes,  and  loads  of  Ihem,  have  been  written 
Upon  it ;  but  among  these,  two  small  ones,  at  least^ 
should  be  consulted,  and  digested  by  every  one  who 
would  not  be  an  ignoramus ~1  mean  the  Enchiridion 
of  CorvinuSf  and  drthur  Duck's  Treatise  De  usu  et  au" 
ihor Hate  Juris  civilis.*  I  will  be  still  more  free  in  de- 
claring my  opinion.  Had  I  learning  enough  to  man- 
age a  cause  of  that  nature,  I  should  be  ready  to  main- 
tain it  at  any  bar  in  the  world,  that  there  never  was, 
nnder  tlie  cope  of  heaven,  a  more  learned  man,  tlian 
the  incomparable  Alstedius.  He  has  written  on  ev- 
ery subject  in  the  whole  circle  of  learning,  as  accu- 
rately and  as  exquisitely  as  those  who  have  devoted 


*  Concerning-  the  use  and  authority  of  the  cfimmon  lav/; 
[^A.  century  has  certainly  prcdu'^ed  ovi.er  bocks  of  great  vid- 
ue  t )  the  gentlemen  of  the  law,  but  it  was  thoug-bt  proper  to 
retain  the  author's  advice  on  this  subject,  as  well  as  on  oth- 
ers.] 

N. 


14(5  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD; 


their  whole  lives  to  the  cultivation  of  any  one  partic- 
ular  subject.  The  only  reason  why  his  composilions 
are  not  more  esteemed  is,  the  pleonasm  of  his  worth> 
and  their  desert  of  so  much  esteem.  To  hear  some 
silly  men  ridicule  his  labors  by  a  foolish  pun  on  hia 
name — AlVs  tedious^  is  to  see  the  ungrateful  folly  of  the 
world ;  for  conciseness  is  one  of  his  peculiar  excellen- 
cies. They  might  more  justly  charge  him  with  any 
thing,  than  with  tediousness.  This  digression  only 
serves  to  introduce  a  recommendotion  of  his  "Jurispru- 
dentia,"  as  one  of  the  best  books  in  the  world  for  a 
lawyer.  I  shall  wrong  it  if  I  say  "it  is  much  in  a  lit* 
tie;''  I  would  rather  say  "it  is  all  in  one." 

A  lawyer  should  be  a  scholar.  It  is  vexatious  that 
the  emperor  Justinian^  whose  name  is  now  on  the  laws 
of  the  Roman  empire,*  is,  by  Suidas,  called  ''Analpha- 
betos — one  who  scarcely  knew  his  alphabet."  It  is 
vexatious  to  find  Accursius^  one  of  the  first  commen- 
tators on  the  laws,  fall  into  so  many  gross  mistakes, 
through  his  ignorance.!  But  when  you  are  called  up- 
on to  be  wise,  the  design  is,  that  you  may  be  wise  to 
do  good.  Without  this  disposition,  "doth  not  their  ex- 
cellency which  is  in  them  go  away?  They  die  even 
without  wisdom."  A  foundation  of  piety  must  first  be 
laid ;  an  inviolable  respect  to  the  holy  and  just  and 
good  law  of  God.  This  must  be  the  rule  of  all  your 
actions ;  and  it  must  particularly  regulate  your  prac- 
tice of  the  law.     You  are  sensible  that  it  was  always 


*  They  bear  his  name,  because  it  was  by  his  order  that 
Tr'ibonian  made  his  hasty,  and  some  say  fallacious,  collection 
of  them,  from  the  two  thousand  volumes,  into  whi»h  they 
had  been  growing-  for  a  thousand  years. 

+  When  a  sentence  of  Greek  occurred  in  the  text,  he  was 
able  to  aflbrd  no  better  gloss  than  this,  "Hxc  Graica  sunt, 
quince  leg!,  necintelilgi  possunt— This  is  Greek,  which  caa 
tse'tther  b«  readj  nor  «.xpUincd." 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  147 


the  custom  of  the  civil  law  to  begin  with,  "to  the  most 
high  and  gracious  God  :"*  nor  was  it  unusual  for  the 
instruments  of  the  law  to  begin  with  the  first  two  let- 
ters of  the  name  of  Christ,  in  Greek  characters.  The 
life  of  the  lawyer  should  have  its  beginning  there,  and 
be  carried  on  with  a  constant  regard  to  it.  The  old 
Saxon  laws  had  the  ten  commandments  prefixecl  to 
them — Ten  words  of  infinitely  greater  value  than  the 
Yimous  Twelve  Tables  so  much  admired  by  Tulty  and 
other  ancient  writers ;  in  the  fragments  of  which,  col- 
lected by  Baldwin^  there  are  some  things  horribly  un- 
righteous and  barbarous.  These  am  to  be  the  Jirst 
laws  with  you :  and,  as  all  the  laws  that  are  contrary 
to  these  are  ipso  facto,  null  and  void,  so,  in  the  prac- 
tice of  the  law,  every  thing  disallowed  by  these  must 
be  avoided.  The  man  whom  the  scripture  calls  a  law- 
yer was  a  Karaite,  or  one  who  strictly  adhered  to  the 
written  law  of  God,  in  opposition  to  the  Pharisee  and 
the  Traditiomst.  I  know  not  why  every  lawyer 
should  not  still  be,  in  the  best  sense,  a  Karaite.  By 
manifesting  a  reverence  for  the  divine  law,  both  that 
of  reason  and  that  of  superadded  gospel,  you  will  do 
good  in  the  world  beyond  what  you  can  imagine.  You 
will  redeem  your  honorable  profession  from  the  injury 
which  bad  men  have  done  to  its  rej)utation ;  and  you 
^vill  obtain  a  patronage  for  it  very  different  from  that 
%vhich  the  Satyr  in  the  idle  story  of  your  Saint  Evona 
has  assigned  to  it. 

Your  celebrated  TJlpian  wrote  seven  books,  to  shew 
the  several  punishments  which  ought  to  be  inflicted  on 
Christians.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  you  will  invent  as 
many  services  to  be  done  to  the  cause  of  Christianity, 


T  A  Dwo  optlrao  maximo. 


}^  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD,^ 

services  to  be  performed  for  the  kingdom  of  your  Sav,^ 
ior,  and  methods  by  which  to  demonstrate  that  you 
yourselves  are  among  the  best  of  Christians. 

.  I  am  not  sure  that  our  Tertullian  was  the  gentleman 
of  that  name,  who  hath  some  Consulta  in  the  Roman 
Digesta  ;  w  hich  Grotius  and  others  will  not  admit :  yet 
Eu^ebius  tells  us  that  he  was  well  skilled  in  the  Ro- 
man laws :  and  in  his  writings  you  find  many  law  terms, 
particularly  ^^Prescriptions  against  Heretics,"  which 
were,  as  we  learn  from  Qaintillian  and  others,  the  re- 
plies of  defendants  to  the  actions  of  the  plaintiffs.  I 
propose  that  others  of  the  faculty  study  all  possible 
"Prescriptions"  against  those  who  would  injure  the 
cause  of  christiaoity,  and  "apologies"  for  the  church 
and  cause  of  our  Savior.  But,  sirs,  it  must  first  of  all 
foe  done  in  your  own  virtuous,  exact,  upright  conduct, 
under  all  temptations.  The  miscarriages  of  some  in- 
(dividuals  must  not  bring  a  blemish  on  a  noble  and  use- 
ful profession. 

But  although  the  profession  in  general  must  not  be 
blamed  for  the.  faults  of  a  few,  yet  many  will  allow  the 
justness  of  the  foUowing  remark,  which  occurs  in  a  lalo 
pubiicatioc,  entitled,  *'Examen  Miscel  laneum  :'*  "a  lav*^- 
yer  who  is  a  knave  deserves  death  more  than  the  man 
that  robs  on  the  highway;  for  he  profanes  the  sanctu- 
ary of  the  distressed,  and  betrays  the  liberties  of  the 
people/'  To  avoid  such  a  censure,  a  lawyer  must 
shun  ail  those  indirect  ways  of  "making  haste  to  be 
rich,"  in  w^hlcli  a  man  cannot  be  Innocent :  such  ways 
as  provoked  the  father  of  Sir  Matthew  Hale  to  aban- 
don the  practice  of  the  law ,  on  account  of  the  extreme 
difficulty  of  preserving  a  good  conscience  in  it.  Sir, 
be  prevailed  upon  constantly  to  keep  a  court  of  chan^ 
■Berij  in  your  own  breast :  and  scoro  aad  icai  io  d©  ap  J 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD,  Uf* 

thing  but  that  which  your  conscience  will  pronounce 
consistent  with,  and  conducing  to  "glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  peace  on  earth,  and  good  will  towards  men.** 
The  very  nature  of  your  profession  leads  you  to  med- 
itate on  "a  juilgment  to  come."  O  that  you  would  so 
realize  and  antedate  that  judgment,  as  to  do  nothing 
but  what  you  verily  believe  will  be  approved  in  it ! 

This  piety  must  operate,  very  particularly,  in  the 
pleading  of  causes.  You  will  abhor,  sir,  to  appear  in  a 
dirty  cause.  If  you  discover  that  your  client  has  an. 
unjust  cause,  you  will  faithfully  advise  him  of  it.  The 
question  is,  "whether  it  be  lawful  to  use  falsehood  and 
deceit  in  contending  with  an  adversary  ?"*  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  you  have  determined  this  question  like  an 
I  honest  man.  You  will  be  sincerely  desirous  that  truth 
and  justice  should  take  place.  You  will  speak  noth- 
ing which  shall  be  to  the  ppejudice  of  either.  You 
will  detest  the  use  of  all  unfair  arts  to  confound  evi- 
dences, to  browbeat  witnesses,  or  to  suppress  what; 
may  give  light  in  the  case.  You  have  nothing  to  ob" 
^  jectto  that  old  rule  of  pleading  a  cause  . — "When  the 
guilt  of  the  party  is  clearly  proved,  the  counsel  ought 
to  withdraw  his  support."f  I  remember  that  Schuste- 
rus;  a  famous  lawyer  and  counsellor,  who  died  at  Hei» 
delberg  in  the  year  1672,  has  an  admirable  passage  ia 
his  epitaph: 

*'Morti  proximus  vocem  emisit; 
Nihil  se  unquam  suasiesse  consilio,, 
Cujus  jam  jam  moriturum  peuiteret." 
—"When  at  the  point  of  death  he  could  say,  I  never 
in  the  whole  course  of  my  practice  gave  an  opinion  of 


*  Utrum  failaclis  et  dcceptionibus  ad  Gonvincendum  ad= 
vcrsarium  utili  ceat  ? 

f  Cognita  iniquitate,  a  susc^pto  ejus  patrociriio  adyoc&tlis 
clesistcrj  d^bet. 

N2, 


IbO  £S»AYS  TO  DO  GOODo 


whicli  I  now  repent."  A  ia\vyer,  who  can  leave  t!ie 
world  with  such  language  as  this,  proves  a  greater  bless- 
ing to  the  world  than  caa  be  expressed. 

I  cannot  encourage  any  gentleman  to  spend  much 
lime  in  the  study  of  the  canon  law  ;  which  Baptista  a 
Sancto  Blasio  has  found  to  contradict  the  civil  law  in 
two  hundred  instances.  The  "decrees,"  the  "decre- 
tals,** the  "Clementines,"  and  "extravagants,"  which 
compose  the  hideous  volumes  of  that  law,  would  com- 
pel any  wise  man  to  make  the  same  apology  for  his  aver*- 
sion  to  it  which  such  a  one  once  Eflade :  ""l  cannot,  sir^ 
feed  on  that  which  is  vile."^  Agrippa,  who  was  a  doc- 
tor of  that  law,  said  of  it,  "it  is  neither  of  God  novfor 
him  :  nothing  but  corruption  invented  it ;  nothing  but 
avarice  has  piactised  it"  Luther  began  the  reforma- 
jJion  with  burxiing  it»  Nevertheless  there  is  one  point 
touch  insisted  on  in  tlie  canon  law,  which  well  deserves- 
your  serious  consideration ;  that  is — restiiulion .  When 
jnen  have  obtained  riches  without  right,  or  have  heap- 
ed up  wealth  in  any  dishonest  and  criminal  ways,  a  res- 
titution will  be  a  necessary  and  essential  part  of  that 
repentance  which  alone  will  find  acceptance  with 
Heaven*  The  soicmnity  of  this  thought  may  stand 
like  an  "angel  with  a  drawn  sword"  in  your  way, 
when  you  may  be  uuder  a  temptation  to  leave  the  path 
of  duty,  to  go  after  the  "wages  of  unrighteousness." 
Our  law  was  once  given  to  us  in  French.  Many  of 
you,  gentlemen,  know  the  modern  French  as  well  as 
the  ancient,  IMons.  Placeite  has  given  you  a  valuable 
Ireatise  of  Restitution,  in  which  there  is  a  chapter, 
*'Des  cas  ou  les  Avocats  sont  obliges  a  restituer— Of 
the  cases  in  which  counsellors  are  obliged  to  make  res- 
titution."    In  that  chapter  some  persons  will  find  a, 

*  Non  possuw,  domine,  vcsci  stercorQ  humano. 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  151 


sad  bill  of  costs  taxed  for  them ;  and  among  otiier  as- 
sertions, this  is  one :  ^'Excessive  fets  must  be  dii^ofg« 
ed  by  restitution."*     This  should  be  considered. 

It  is  an  old  complaint  "that  a  good  lawyer  is  seldom 
a  good  neighbor."  You  know  how  to  confute  it,  gen- 
tlemen, by  making  your  skill  in  tiie  law  a  blessing  to 
the  neighborhood.  It  was  affirmed  as  long  ago,  as  in 
the  time  of  Sal  lust,  'towns  were  happy  formerly,  when 
there  were  no  lawyers ;  and  they  will  be  so  again  when 
the  race  is  extinct  ;"t  but  you  may,  if  you  please,  be  a 
vast  accession  to  the  happiness  of  the  places  where  yon 
reside. 

You  shall  have  some  of  my  proposals  for  it,  in  a  his- 
torical exhibition.  In  the  life  of  Mr;  John  Cotton,  the 
author  relates  the  following,  concerning  his  father,  who 
was  a  lawyer.  "That  worthy  man  was  very  remark- 
able in  two  most  admirable  practices.  One  was,  that 
when  any  one  of  his  neighbors  wishing  to  sue  another, 
applied  to  him  for  advice,  it  was  his  custom,  in  the 
most  persuasive  and  affectionate  manner  imaginable^ 
to  attempt  a  reconciliation  between  both  parties ;  pre- 
ferring the  consolation  of  being  a  peace-maker,  to  all 
the  fees  which  he  might  have  obtained  by  blowing  up 
the  differences.  Another  was,  he  was  accustomed,  ev- 
ery night,  to  examine  himself,  with  reflections  on  the 
transactions  of  the  past  day ;  and  if  he  found  that  he 
had  neither  done  good  to  others,  nor  got  good  to  hia 
own  soul,  he  was  as  much  grieved  as  Titus  was,  when 
lie  complained  in  th^  evening — "roy  friends !  I  have 
lost  a  day.'":^ 


•^  S'il  exig-e  une  recompense  excessive  et  dlsproportlonec 
a  ce  qu'il  fix'it,  ilest  oblige  a  restituev  ce  qu'il  prend  de  trop. 
.  t  Sine  Causidicis  satis  fcelices  olim  fnQre,  fuluraequesu:^ 
Wi-bes. 

i  Amicij,  diem  perdidi. 


152  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


What  a  noble  thing  would  it  be  for  you  to  find  out 
oppressed  widows  and  orphans;  and  as  such  can  ap- 
pear onlj^  "in  forma  pauperis;"  and  are  objects,  in 
whose  oppression  "might  overcomes  right,"  generous- 
ly plead  their  cause !  "Deliver  the  poor  and  needy, 
and  rid  them  out  of  the  hand  of  the  wicked" — It  will  be 
a  glorious  and  a  Godlike  action  t 

Affluent  persons,  about  to  make  their  wills,  may  fre- 
quently ask  your  advice.  You  may  embrace  the  op- 
portunity of  advising  them  to  such  liberality  in  behalf 
of  pious  purposes,  as  may  greatly  advance  the  kingdom 
of  God  in  the  world.  And,  when  you  have  opportu- 
nity, by  law,  to  rescue  "the  things  that  are  God's  from 
the  sacrilegious  hands  that  would  "rob  God,"  it  may  be 
hoped  that  you  will  do  it  with  all  possible  generosity 
and  alacrity.  O  excellent  imitation  of  our  glorious 
Advocate  in  the  heavens  I 

Is  there  nothing  to  be  amended  Id  the  laws  ?  Per- 
haps you  may  discover  many  things  yet  wanting;  in 
the  laws,  or  mischiefs  in  the  execution  or  application 
of  them,  which  ought  to  be  provided  against;  or  mis- 
chiefs which  annoy  mankind,  against  which  no  laws 
are  yet  provided.  The  reformation  of  the  laws,  and 
more  laws  for  the  reformation  of  the  v/orld,  are  loudly 
called  for.  I  do  not  affirm  that  our  laws  could  be  so 
reduced,  that,  like  those  of  Geneva,  they  might  be  con- 
tained io  five  sheets  of  paper;  but  certainly  the  laws 
may  be  so  corrected,  that  the  world  may  more  sensibly 
and  generally  eojoy  the  benefit  of  them.  If  some  law- 
yers, "men  of  an  excellent  spirit,"  would  direct  their 
attention  this  way,  and  call  the  attention  of  the  legis- 
lature to  them,  all  the  world  might  feel  the  benefit  of 
it.  A  worthy  man,  more  than  fifty  years  ago,  wrote  an 
"Examen  Legum  Aogliee — An  Examination  of  the 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  ]  53 

English  Laws,"  -which  deserves  consideration  in  the 
present  day. 

Your  learning  often  qualifies  you  to  "write  excel- 
lent things,"  not  only  in  your  own  profession,  but  also 
on  many  other  entertaining  and  edifying  themes. 
The  books  which  have  been  written  by  learnexl  law- 
yers would,  in  number,  almost  equal  an  Ahxaiidriaii 
library.  Judge  by  a  Freherus'  catalogue,  or  by  a 
Pryn's  performances.  What  valuable  works  have 
been  produced  by  a  Grotius,  a  Hale,  a  Seldcn  !  Gentle-  , 
men,  yon  may  plead  the  cause  of  religion  and  of  the 
reformation,  by  your  well  directed  peas ;  and  perform 
innumerable  services  to  the  public.  There  is  one,  at 
this  day,  who,  in  his  "History  of  the  Apostles'  Creed,'* 
has  obliged  us  to  say,  "he  has  offered  like  diking  to  the 
temple  of  the  King  of  heaven."  May  (he  Lord  his  God 
accept  him ! 

Should  you  be  called,  sir,  to  the  administration  of 
justice,  in  the  quality  of  a  Judge,  you  will  prescribe  to 
yourself  rules  like  those  which  the  renowned  Lord 
Chief  Justice  Hale  so  religiously  observed,  as  to  be- 
come a  bright  example  for  all  who  occupy  the  seat  of 
judicature.     The  sum  of  (hose  rules  is  as  follows  : 

''That  justice  be  administered  uprightly,  deliberate- 
ly, resolutely. 

"That  I  rest  not  on  my  own  understanding,  but 
implore  the  direction  of  God. 

'^That  in  the  execution  of  justice,  I  carefully  lay- 
aside  my  own  passions,  and  not  give  way  to  them, 
iiowever  provoked. 

"That  I  be  wholly  intent  on  the  business  I  am  abouf. 

"That  I  suffer  not  myself  to  be  prepossessed  with 
any  judgment  at  all,  tiii  all  the  business,  and  bi^ih 
|)artie$  are  heard.'* 


154  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


In  the  pursuance  of  such  methods  to  do  good,  to 
serve  the  cause  of  righteousness,  and  introduce  the 
promised  age,  in  which  "the  people  shall  all  be  right- 
eous," the  least  of  those  glorious  recompences  you  may- 
expect  will  be  the  establishment  of  your  profession,  in 
such  a  reputation,  that  the  most  prejudiced  persons 
in  the  world,  when  seeking  to  find  blemishes  in  it,  will 
be  obliged  to  bring  in  an  Ignoramus* 


SociBriEsj^r  the  Rejormation  of  Manners,  and  for 
the  Suppression  of  Vice,  have  begun  to  grow  into  es- 
teem, and  it  is  one  of  the  best  omens  that  appear  ia 
the  world.  **Eehoid,  how  great  a  matter  a  little  (of 
this  heavenly)  fire  kindieth  !"  Five  or  six  gentlemen 
in  London,  associated,  with  a  heroic  resolution,  to  op- 
pose that  torrent  of  wickedness  which  was  carrying  all 
before  it.  More  were  soon  added  to  their  number; 
and  though  they  met  with  great  opposition  from  "wick- 
ed spirits,"  incarnate,  as  well  as  invisible  ones,  and 
some  in  "liigh  places"  too,  yet  they  proceeded  with  a 
most  honorable  and  invincible  courage.  Their  suc- 
cess, if  not  proportioned  to  their  courage,  was  yet  far 
from  contemptible.  In  the  punishments  indicted  on 
those  who  transgressed  the  laws  of  morality,  many 
thousands  of  sacrifices  were  offered  to  the  holiness  of 
God.  Hundreds  of  houses,  which  were  the  porches  of 
hell,  and  the  scandal  of  the  earth,  were  soon  shut  up. 
A  remarkable  check  was  given  to  the  raging  profana- 


E9SA.TS  TO  DO  GOOD.  153 


tion  of  the  Lord's  name  ;  and  the  Lord^s  day  was  not 
so  openly  and  horribly  abused  as  before.  Among  oth- 
er essays  to  do  good,  they  scattered  many  thousands  of 
good  books  among  the  people,  which  had  a  tendency 
to  reform  their  manners.  It  was  not  long  before  this 
excellent  example  was  followed  in  other  parts  of  the 
British  empire.  Virtuous  men  of  various  tanks  and 
persuasions,  became  members  of  the  societies.  Per- 
sons high  and  low,  churchmen  and  dissenters,  united; 
and  the  union  became  formidable  to  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness. The  report  of  the  societies  flew  over  the  seas, 
and  the  pattern  was  imitated  in  other  countries.  Wise 
men,  in  remote  parts  of  Europe,  made  this  joyful  re- 
mark upon  them,  "that  they  occasion  unspeakable 
good,  and  announce  a  more  illustrious  state  of  the 
church  of  God,  which  is  to  be  expected  in  the  conver- 
sion of  Jews  and  Gentiles."  America,  too,  begins  to 
be  irradiated  with  them. 

I  shall  here  recite  an  account,  formerly  presented  to 
the  public,  of  what  may  be  effected  by  such  societies. 
"What  incredible  benefits  will  accrue  to  religion  from 
reforming  societies,  if  the  disposition  to  promote  them 
fchould  not  unhap|)ily  languish.  A  small  society  may 
prove  an  invaluable  blessing  to  a  town,  whose  welfare 
should  become  the  object  of  their  watchful  attention  ; 
they  may  be  as  a  garrison  to  defend  it  from  the  worst 
of  its  enemies  :  they  may  soon  render  it  a  mountain  of 
holiness,  and  a  dwelling  of  righteousness,"  The  so» 
ciety  may  assist  in  promoting  the  execution  of  those 
vholesome  laws,  by  which  vice  is  discouraged.  Of- 
fenders against  the  law  may  be  kept  under  such  vigil- 
ant inspection,  that  they  shall  not  escape  punisliment; 
arid  censured  sinners  will  be  reclaimed  from  their  sins; 
or,  at  least,  the  judgments  of  God,  which  may  be  ex* 


156  ESSAYS  TO    EO  GOOD. 


pected  where  such  sins  are  indulged,  Will  be  diverted. 
*'When  we  judge  ourselves,  the  judgments  ot  God  will 
be  averted."  Swearing  and  cursing  will  not  infect  the 
air.  Men  will  not  reel  along  the  streets,  transformed 
into  swine  by  drunkenness.  The  cages  of  unclean- 
birds  will  be  dissipated.  They  whom  idleness  ren- 
dered dead  while  they  lived,  will  have  an  l\onest  em- 
ployment provided  for  them.  And  the  Lord's  day 
will  be  visibly  kept  ho'y  to  the  Lord. 

"Vice  is  a  cowardly  thing;  it  will  soon  shrink  be* 
fore  those  who  boldly  oppose  it.  If  any  laws  neces- 
sary to  remedy  what  is  amiss,  be  yet  wanting,  the  so- 
ciety may  apply  to  the  legislative  power  to  procure 
Ihem.  What  is  defective  in  the  bye-laws  of  the  town 
rnay  soon  be  supplied.  The  election  ©f  such  officers 
hs  may  be  faithful  and  useful  to  the  public  may  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  society.  If  any  persons  be  notorious- 
ly defective  in  their  duty,  the  society  may,  by  suita- 
ble admonitions  and  remonstrances,  cause  those  defects 
to  be  amended.  If  any  families  live  without  family 
worship,  the  pastor  may  be  informed,  who  will  visit 
them,  and  exhort  them  no  longer  to  remain  in  their 
atheism.  If  any  are  in  danger  of  being  led  away  by 
seducers,  or  other  temptations,  care  may  be  taken  to 
warn  them.  Schools  of  various  kinds  may  derive  ad- 
vantage from  such  a  society.  Charity  schools  may  be 
erected,  inspected,  and  supported.  Books  and  tracts, 
containing  the  salt  of  heaven,  may  be  sprinkled  all  over 
the  land,  and  the  "savor  of  truth"  be  diifused  about 
Ihe  country,  Finally,  the  society  may  find  out  who 
are  in  extreme  necessity,  and  by  their  own  liberalityj 
or  that  of  others,  may  procure  assistance  for  them. 

"We  know  that  a  small   society  may  effect  these 
things,  because  we  knovf  that  they  have  been  done, 


ESSAYS  TO  BO  GOOD.  157 


and  yet  the  persons  who  did  them  have  been  conceal* 
ed  from  the  world.  To  minds  elevated  above  the 
dregs  of  mankind,  and  endued  with  any  generosity,  no 
other  argument  to  form  such  a  society  will  be  needful, 
than  the  prospect  of  so  much  usefulness.  This  will 
strongly  recommend  the  design  to  well-disposed  per- 
sons, and  they  will  think  it  an  honor  to  belong  to  such 
a  society." 

The  recital  of  these  passages  may  be  suificient  to 
introduce  the  following  proposal. 

That  a  proper  number  of  persons  in  a  neighborhood, 
whose  hearts  God  hath  inclined  to  do  good,  should  form 
themselves  into  a  society,  to  meet  when  and  where  they 
shall  agree,  and  to  consider — "What  are  the  disorders 
that  we  may  observe  rising  among  us ;  and  what  may 
be  done,  either  by  ourselves  immediately,  or  by  oth^ 
ers  through  our  advice,  to  suppress  those  disorders?^* 
That  they  would  procure,  if  they  can,  the  presence  of 
a  qiiuister  w  ith  them ;  and  every  time  they  meet,  pre- 
sent a  prayer  to  the  Lord  to  bless,  direct, and  prosjier  the 
design.  That  they  would  also  procure,  if  possible,  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  to  be  a  member  of  the  societyo 
That  half-yearly  they  choose  two  stewards,  to  dispatch 
the  business  and  messages  of  the  society,  and  manage 
the  votes  in  it,  who  shall  nominate  their  successors 
when  their  term  is  expired.  That  they  would  have  a 
faithful  treasurer,  in  whose  hands  their  stock  of  charity 
may  be  deposited ;  and  a  clerk  to  keep  a  suitable  re- 
cord of  their  transactions  and  purposes^;  and,  finally, 
that  they  carry  on  (heir  w^hole  design  with  as  much 
modesty  and  silence  as  possible. 

In  a  town  furnished  with  several  such  societies,  it 
has  been  usual  for  them   all  to  meet  together  once  a 
year,  and  keep  a  day  of  prayer  j  in  which  they  have 
O. 


158  EJSATS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


humbled  themselves  for  doing  so  little  good,  and  en- 
treated the  pardon  of  their  unfruilfulness,  through  the 
Mood  of  tlie  great  Sacrifice;  and  implored  the  blessing 
of  hcaren  on  those  essays  to  do  good  which  they  have 
Kiade,  the  counsel  and  conduct  of  heaven  for  their  fur- 
ther attempts,  and  such  influences  of  heaven  as  may- 
accomplish  that  reformation  which  it  was  not  in  their 
power  to  effect. 

I  will  conclude  this  proposal  by  reciting  those ;7om/.7 
cf  consideration,  which  may  be  read  to  the  societie?, 
at  their  meetings  from  time  to  time,  with  a  proper  pause 
after  each  of  them,  that  any  member  may  offer  what  h© 
pleases  upon  it. 

1.  Is  there  any  remarkable  disorder  in  the  place, 
•which  requires  our  endeavors  for  the  suppression  of 
it  ?  and,  in  what  good,  fair,  likely  way,  may  we  at- 
tempt  it  ? 

2.  Is  there  any  particular  person,  whose  disorderly 
behavior  may  be  so  scandalous,  that  it  may  be  proper 
io  send  him  our  charitable  admonition  ?  or,  are  there 
any  contending  persons  whom  we  shc^ild  exhort  id 


f^uench  their  contentions  ? 


3.  Is  there  any  particular  service  to  the  inferests  of 
religion,  which  we  may  conveniently  request  our  min- 
isters to  take  notice  of? 

4.  Is  there  any  thing  which  we  may  do  well  to  men- 
tion and  recommend  to  the  magistrates,  for  the  further 
promotion  of  good  order  ? 

5.  Is  there  any  sort  of  oflTicers  among  us  who  are  so 
unmindful  of  their  duty,  that  we  may  properly  remind 
them  of  it  ? 

6.  Can  any  further  methods  be  devised  that  igno- 
rance and  wickedness  may  be  chased  from  our  people 
in  general ;  and  that  dome-.tic  piety,  in  particular,  may 
flourish  among  them  ? 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  600D.  J  SO 


7.  Is  llirre  any  instance  of  oppression  or  frau  lulencc, 
in  the  dealings  of  any  Fort  of  people,  which  inay  call 
for  our  efforts  to  prevent  it  in  future  ? 

8.  Is  there  any  matter  to  be  humbly  recomnieri(]ed 
to  the  le^^Iative  power,  to  be  enacted  into  a  law  for 
Ihe  public  benefit. 

9.  Do  we  know  of  any  person  languishing  under 
heavy  affliction,  and  what  can  we  do  for  the  succor  of 
that  afflicted  neighbor? 

10.  Has  any  perron  a  proposal  to  nrmke,  for  the 
further  advantage,  assistance,  and  usefulae-s  of  Ihli  so- 
ciety ? 

Reader — "Look  dov/  towarcb  heaven,  and  tell  the 
stars,  if  thou  be  able  to  number  thero  ;**  yea,  tell  first 
the  leaveE  of  a  Hercynian  forest,  and  the  drops  of  the 
Atlantic  ocean — then  tell  bow  many  good  things  r/iay 
be  done  by  societies  of  good  men,  having  such  points 
cf  consideration  before  them. 

And  yet,  after  all,  when  such  societies  have  done  ali 
the  good  they  can,  and  nothing  but  good,  and  walkoa 
in  a  more  unspotted  brightness  than  that  of  the  moon 
in  heaven,  let  them  expect  to  be  maligned  and  libelled 
as  "a  set  of  scoundrels  who  are  rnaintaioed  by  lying, 
serve  God  for  unrighteous  gain,  fenet  wliores  for  huI^ 
fcistence,  and  are  not  more  zealous  against  immorality 
in  their  information h,  than  for  it  in  their  own  practice; 
avoiding  no  tin  in  themselves,  and  suffering  norye  in 
other  people**'  1  suppose  that  they  who  publish  their 
censures  on  *'the  manners  of  the  age"  fvill  thus  txi^ress 
their  niaiigaity,  becaur^e  they  tuive  done  =o.  Sirs !  "add 
to  your  faith,  courage/'  and  be  armed  for  such  a  trial 
of  it* 


160  ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD. 


A  Catalogue  of  Desirable  Things, 

We  win  not  propose  that  our  essays  to  ffo^'oo^Z  should 
ever  come  to  a  close  ;  but  we  will  now  put  a  close  to 
eur  tender  o^  proposals  for  them ;  I  shall  therefore  con- 
clude wiih  a  Catalogus  Desideratorum,  or  a  mention  of 
some  obvious  and  general  services  for  the  kingdom  of 
Clod  among  men,  to  which  it  is  desirable  that  religious 
persons  should  be  awakened,* 

I.  The  propagation  of  the  holy  and  glorious  religion 
of  Christ ;  a  religion  which  emancipates  mankind  from 
the  worst  kind  of  slavery  and  misery,  and  wonderfully 
ennobles  it ;  ami  which  alone  prepares  men  for  the 
blessedness  of  another  world.  Why  is  this  no  more  at- 
tempted by  its  professors  ?  Protestants,  will  j'ou  be  out- 
done by  Popish  idolaters  ?  O  the  vast  pains  which 
those  bigots  have  taken  to  carry  on  the  Romish  mer- 
chandize and  idolatry !  No  less  than  six  hundred  cler- 
gymen, in  the  order  of  the  Jesuits  alone,  have,  within 
a  fe%v  years,  embarked  for  China,  to  win  aver  that  migh- 
ty nation  to  their  bastard  Christianity.  No  less  than 
live  hundred  of  them  lost  their  lives  in  the  difficulties 
of  their  enterprize,  and  yet  the  survivors  go  on  with  it, 
expressing  a  sort  of  regret  that  it  fell  not  to  their  share 
to  make  a  sacrifice  of  their  lives  in  attem.pting  the 
propagation  of  their  religion.  "O  ray  God,  I  ara 
ashamed,  and  blush  to  lift  up  ray  face  to  thee,  my  God  I'' 
Who  can  tell  what  great  things  might  be  done  if  our 
trading  companies  and  factories  would  set  apart  a  more 


*  Difficilem  rem  optas,  generis  humanl  mnocent'iaTn  ;  If 
you  long  for  the  reformation  of  mankind,  you  ar§  longing  for 
Ihat  which  it  is  difacuil  to  aecompiisU, 


E3S AYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  IQi 


considerable  part  of  tlieir  gains  for  this  work,  and  would 
prosecute  it  more  vigorously.  The  proposnl  which 
Gordon  has  made  at  the  end  of  his  "Geography,"  that 
all  persons  of  property  would  appropriate  a  small  part 
of  their  wealth  to  this  purpose,  should  be  more  atten- 
tively considered.  What  has  already  been  done  by 
the  Dutch  missionaries  at  Ceylon,  and  the  Danish  mis- 
sionaries at  Malabar,  one  would  imagine  sufficient  to 
excite  us  to  imitate  them. 

If  men  of  zeal  for  evangelising  and  illuminating  a 
miserable  world  would  learn  the  languages  of  some  na- 
tions which  are  yet  unevangelised,  and  wait  on  the 
providence  of  Heaven  to  direct  them  ^o  some  apostoli- 
cal undertakings,  and  to  bless  them  therein,  who  can 
tell  what  might  be  done  t  We  know  what  Ruffinus  re- 
lates concerning  the  conversion  of  the  Iberians,  and 
what  Socrates  mentions  concerniug  the  things  done  by 
Frumentius  and  Aedesius  in  the  inner  India. 

In  this  subject  there  are  tvro  things  worthy  of  re- 
Buark : 

First,  it  is  the  opinion  of  gome  Seers,  that  until  the 
temple  be  cleansed,  there  will  be  no  general  appear- 
ance of  the  nations  to  worship  in  it.  And  the  truth  is? 
there  will  be  danger  until  then,  that  many  person?;  ac- 
tive in  societies  for  thepropagationuf  religion,  may  be 
more  intent  on  propagating  their  own  little  forms,  fan- 
cies, and  interests,  than  the  more  weighty  matters  of 
Ihe  gospel.  Yea,  it  will  be  well  ii"  they  be  not,  una- 
wares, imposed  upon,  to  injure  the  eau^e  of  christian- 
itj?-  where  it  is^  well  established,  while  places  in  the 
neighborhood,  wholly  unevanj^eiised,  may  lie  neglect- 
et^  Let  us  therefore  do  wliat  we  can  towards  the 
rfformaiion  of  the  churchj  in  order  to  its  enlari^'c- 
tiznt, 

0  2i 


162  3S6SAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


Secondly,  it  is  probable  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  be 
again  bestowed  on  the  church  for  its  enlargement,  in 
operations  similar  to  those  which,  in  the  first  ages  of 
Christianity,  were  granted  for  its  plantation.  The  Ho- 
ly Spirit,  who  has  withdrawn  from  the  apostate  church, 
vail  come  and  abide  with  us,  and  render  this  world 
like  a  "watered  garden."  His  irresistible  influences 
will  cause  whole  "nations  to  be  born  in  a  day.'*  He 
^'ili  not  only  convert,  but  unite  his  people.  By  hint, 
Cfod  will  "dwell  with  men.'*  Would  not  our  heaven- 
ly Father  give  his  Holy  Spirit  if  he  were  more  earnest* 
Jy  entreated  of  him ! 

II.  It  is  lamentable  to  observe  the  ignorance  and 
wickedness  jei  remaining,  even  in  many  parts  of  the 
Sritish  dominions  t  in  Wales,  in  the  Highlands  of 
Scotland,  and  in  Ireland.  Are  the  Gouges  all  dead  ? 
There  are  pretended  shepherds  in  the  world,  who  will 
saever  be  able  to  answer  before  the  Son  of  God,  for 
their  laying  so  little  to  heart  the  deplorable  circum- 
stances of  so  many  persons  whom  they  might,  if  they 
were  not  scandalously  negligent,  bring  to  be  more  ac- 
quainted with  the  only  Savior. 

in.  Why  is  nothing  more  effected  for  the  poor 
Greeks,  Armenians,  Muscovites,  and  other  Christians, 
who  have  little  preachii^,  and  no  printing  among 
them?  If  we  were  to  send  them  Bibles,  Psalters,  and 
other  books  of  piety  in  their  own  language,  they 
would  be  noble  presents,  and  God  only  knov/s  how 
useful. 

IV.  Poor  sailors  and  poor  soldiers  call  for  our  pitjr. 
They  meet  with  great  troubles,  and  yet  their  manners 
seldom  discover  any  good  effects  of  their  trials.  What 
shall  be  done  to  make  them  a  better  set  of  men  ?  Be- 
sides more  books  of  piety  distributed  among  theiiSj  otli- 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  163 


er  methods  must  be  devised.  "An  ass  falls,  and  the 
first  who  conies  lifts  him  U[) :  a  soul  is  on  the  brink  of 
ruin,  and  not  a  hand  is  stretched  out."*  Let  Austin 
awaken  us. 

V.  The  Tradesman's  library  should  be  more  enrich- 
ed. We  have  seen  ''husbandry  spiritualized  ;'*  the  em- 
ployment of  the  "shepherd  spiritualized;"  "navigation 
spiritualized ;"  and  the  "weaver,"  also,  furnished  with 
agreeable  meditations.  To  spread  the  nets  of  salva- 
tion for  men  in  the  way  of  their  personal  callings,  and 
to  convey  pious  thoughts  in  the  terms  and  branches  of 
their  personal  callings,  is  a  real  service  to  the  inter- 
ests of  piety.  A  book  also  that  shall  be  an  "Onoma- 
tologia  Monitoria,"  a  "Remembrancer  from  names," 
and  shall  advise  persons  how  to  make  their  names  the 
monitors  of  their  duty,  might  be  of  much  use  to  the 
christened  world.  And  a  book  which  shall  be  "the  an- 
gel of  Bethesda,"  giving  instructions  in  what  manner 
to  improve  in  piety,  by  the  several  maladies  with  which 
any  may  be  afflicted ;  and  at  the  same  time  informing 
them  of  the  most  experimental,  natiiral,  and  specific 
remedies  for  their  disorders,  might  be  very  useful  to 
mankind. 

VI.  Universities  which  shall  have  more  Collegia 
Pieiatis  in  them,  like  those  of  the  excellent  Francki- 
us  in  the  Lower  Saxony.  O  that  such  institutions 
were  more  numerous !  Seminaries  in  which  the  schol- 
ars may  have  a  most  polite  education,  but  not  be  sent 
forth  with  recommendations  for  the  evangelical  minis- 
try, till,  upon  a  strict  examination,  it  be  found  that 
their  souls  are  fired  with  the  fear  of  God,  the  love  of 
Christ  a  zeal  to  do  good,  and  a  resolution  to  bear  pov- 


*  Cadit  asinus,  h  est  qui  sublevat :  perit  anima,  et  non 
est  qu"i  raauiim  apponat. 


164  ESSIAYS  TO  DO  GOOD, 


erty,  reproach,  and  all  sorts  of  temptations,  in  the  ser- 
vice of  our  holy  religion.  Such  characters  would  be 
the  wonders  of  the  world ;  and  what  wonders  might 
they  do  in  the  world ! 

Let  charity  schools  also  "increase  and  multiply :" 
Charitj -schools  which  may  provide  subjects  for  the 
great  Savior,  blessings  for  the  next  generation :  Chari- 
ty-schools, not  perverted  to  the  ill  purpose  of  introduc- 
ing a  defective  Christianity. 

VII.  It  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  observe  and  pur- 
sue those  things  which,  so  far  as  we  understand  by  the 
books-  of  the  sacred  prophecy,  are  to  be  the  works  cf 
our  day.  When  the  time  had  arrived  that  Antichrist 
should  enter  his  last  half-time,"  one  poor  monk  proved 
a  main  instrumeot  of  wresting  from  him  half  his  em- 
pire. Thas  to  fall  in  with  the  designs  of  Divine  Prov- 
idence, is  the  way  to  be  wondeifuily  prospered  and 
honored.  The  works  of  our  day  I  take  to  be  as  fol- 
lows : 

1 .  The  revival  of  primitive  Christianity :  to  endeav- 
or to  restore  every  thing  of  the  primitive  character. 
The  apostacy  is  going  oiT.  The  time  for  cleansing 
the  teojple  comes  on.  More  Edavards  would  be  vast 
blessings,  when  the  primitive  doctrines  of  Christianity 
are  corrupted. 

2.  The  persuading  of  the  European  powers  to  shake 
offthe  chains  of  popery.  Let  this  argument  be  used" 
there  is  no  popish  nation  but  would,  by  embracing  tiie 
protestant  religion,  not  only  introduce  itself  into  a  gio- 
rioi:s  liberty,  but  also  would  double  its  wealth  immedi^" 
ately.  It  is  strange  that  ihi3  has  not  been  more  at- 
tended to.  Let  it  be  prosecuted  with  more  demonstra- 
tion. A  certain  writer  has  shown,  that  the  abolition 
of  popery  in  England  is  worth  at  least  eight  miliioiie 


ESSAYS  TO  DO  GOOD.  165 


sterlin*  to  the  nation,  annually.     Let  this  argument, 
arising  from  interest,  be  tried  with  other  nations. 

3.  The  formation  and  quickening  of  the  people  who 
are  to  be  "the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain."  In  this 
thing,  as  in  some  others,  "none  of  the  wicked  shall  un- 
derstand ;  but  the  wise  shall  understand."  God  will 
do  his  own  work  in  his  own  time  and  manner;  and 
Austin  says,  *'it  is  advisable  to  withhold  part  of  what 
1  meant  to  say,  because  of  men's  incapacity  to  receive 
it."* 


*  Utile  est  ut  taceatur  aliquod  verbum,  propter  incapaces. 


COKCLUSION. 


**The  zeal  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  will  perform  these 
things  :■'  a  zeal  inspired  and  produced  by  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  in  his  faithful  servants  will  put  them  upon  the 
performance  of  such  things.  Nothing  has  yet  been 
proposed  that  is  impracticable ;  "I  mention  not  things 
of  great  difficulty,  but  such  as  are  within  our  power."* 
But  Eusebius  has  taught  me,  '*it  is  truly  noble  io  do 
great  things,  and  yet  to  esteem  yourself  as  nothing."! 
birs,  while  pursuing  such  a  course  of  actions  as  has 
been  described  above;  actions,  which  are  far  more  glO" 
rious  than  all  the  achievements  of  which  those  bloody 
plunderers  whom  we  call  conquerors  have  made  a 
wretched  ostentation  ; — still  humility  must  crown  the 
whole.  Without  this  they  are  all  nothing:  nothing, 
withou^a  sense  that  you  are  nothing,  and  a  willingness 
to  be  so  esteemed.  You  must  first,  most  humbly  ac- 
knowledge to  the  great  God,  "that  after  you  have  done 
all,  you  are  unprofitable  servants ;"  that  you  have  not 
only  done  that  "which  was  your  duty  to  do,"  but  also 
that  you  have  fallen  exceeding  short  of  your  duty."  If 
God  should  abase  yoij  with  very  dark  dispensations  of 
liis  providence,  after  all  your  indefatigable  and  disin- 
terested "essays"  to  glorify  him,  humble  yourselves  be- 
fore him ;  yet  abate  nothing  of  your  exertions.  Per- 
severe, saying,  my  God  will  humble  me,  yet  will  I 
glorify  him.  Lord,  thou  art  righteous.  Still  will  I 
do  all  I  can  to  promote  thy  glorious  kingdom.     This 

*  Non  fortialoquor,  sed  possibilia. 
t  Vere  magnum  est  magna  facere,  &  teipsum  putere  nihil. 


168  CONCLUSION. 


act  of  humiliation  is  indeed  comparatively  easy.  There 
is  one  to  be  demanded  of  you,  of  much  greater  diffi- 
culty; that  is,  that  you  humbly  submit  to  all  the  dis- 
credit which  God  may  appoint  for  you  among  men. 
Your  adorable  Savior  was  one  who  always  "went  about 
doing  good.'*  Mankind  was  never  visited  by  a  bene- 
factor like  him;  and  yet  never  was  any  one  so  vilified.- 
Had  he  been  the  worst  malefactor  in  the  world,  he 
could  not  have  been  treated  in  a  worse  manner.  He 
expostulated  with  them,  and  inquired,  "for  which  of  my 
good  works  do  you  thus  treat  me."  Yet  they  continue 
ed  the  same  conduct :  they  hated  him,  they  reproached 
him,  they  murdered  him.  Austin  very  truly  said,  "a 
sight  of  our  Lord's  cross  is  a  certain  cure  for  pride."* 
It  will  also  be  a  remedy  for  discouragement ;  it  will 
keep  you  from  sinking,  as  well  as  from  being  lifted  up* 
You  are  conformed  to  your  Savior  in  your  watchful  en- 
deavors to  "do  good,"  and  to  be  ''fruitful  in  every  good 
work."  But  your  conformity  to  him  yet  wants  one 
point  more  to  render  it  complete ;  that  is,  to  be  "des- 
pised and  rejected  of  men ;"  and  patiently  to  bear  the 
contempt,  the  malice,  and  the  abuse  of  a  *'perverse 
generation."  One  of  the  fathers,  who  sometimes  want- 
ed a  little  of  this  grace,  could  say,  "nothing  makes  us 
»o  agreeable  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  as  to  rise 
high  by  our  good  actions,  and  yet  sink  low  in  humil- 
ity."f 

It  is  an  excellent  thing  to  cotne  to  nothing  in  your 
own  esteem.  If  you  hear  the  hopes  of  unfriendly  men, 
that  you  will  come  to  nothing;  hear  it  with  as  much 
satisfaction  as  they  can  hope  for  it.     In  this  sense  em- 


*  Remedium  elationis  est  contuitus  Dominicas  crucis: 
f  Nihil  est  nos  ita  et  hoTninibus  et  Deo  gratos  facvit,  quam 
si  vitK  merito  Hiagni,  et  humilitate  infimi  simus. 


CoNCliUS[ON.  169 

brace  exinanilion  anil  annihilation.  A  person  who  had 
been  a  famous  "doer  of  good"  was  much  affected  with 
the  picture  of  a  devout  man,to  whom  a  voice  came  down 
from  heaven,  "what  wouhlst  thou  have  me  do  for  thee  ?" 
To  which  he  replied,  "nothing,  Lord,  but  that  1  may 
be  permitted  to  suffer  contempt  for  thy  sake."*  Sirs, 
let  it  be  seen  somewhere  else  than  inpichire  ;  be  your- 
selves the  reality  :  and  thus  '*Iet  patience  have  its  per- 
fect work." 

I  hope  you  are  too  wise  to  imagine  that  because  you 
are  never  weary  of  well-doing,  you  will  therefore  be 
aniiversally  well  spoken  of.  No;  it  will  be  just  the 
contrary.  To  do  Ji'c//,and  to  bear  evil,  is  the  comraoa 
experience,  and  should  be  our  constant  expectation. 
And  for  this  unreasonable  thing,  many  reasons  may  be 
given.  It  will  be  impossible  to  do  much  good  without 
some  persons  accounting  themselves  injured  by  what 
you  do.  You  w  ill  unavoidably  serve  some  interests  to 
which  others  are  inimical.  It  is  also  the  nature  of 
mad  men  to  take  up  strange  prejudices  against  their 
best  friends ;  and  to  be  averse  to  none  so  much  as  to 
them.  Now  we  may  every  where  see  those  concern- 
ing whom  we  are  told,  "madness  is  in  their  hearts." 
This  will  appear  in  their  unaccountable  prejudices 
against  those  who  most  of  all  seek  their  good.  Then, 
"he  teareth  me  in  his  wrath  who  hateth  me  :  he  gnash- 
eth  upon  me  with  his  teeth :  mine  enemy  sharpeneth 
his  eyes  upon  me.'*  A  benefactor  will  perhaps  be  hon- 
ored as  the  Lindians  worshipped  Hercules,  by  cursing 
a-nd  throwing  stones.  The  wrath  of  God  against  a 
sinful  and  miserable  world  is  likewise  discovered  in 
this  matter.     If  men,  who  are  always  intent  on  doing 

*  "Qiiid  vis  fieri  pro  te  J"    *'Nlhil,  Domine,  nisi  pati  et 
conterrmi  pro  te  V* 
P. 


170  CONCLUSIO?^. 

good,  were  so  generally  beloved  and  esteemed  as  they 
ought  to  be,  they  would  become  iustruments  of  doing 
more  good  tlian  the  justice  of  heaven  can  yet  allow  to 
be  done  for  a  sinful  world.  The  world  is  neither  wor- 
thy of  them,  nor  of  the  good  which  they  endeavor  to 
perform.  To  deprive  the  world  of  that  good,  mankind 
must  be  permitted  to  entertain  a  strange  aversion  to 
those  persons  who  would  fain  perform  it.  This  cramps 
and  fetters  them,  and  defeats  their  excellent  purposes. 
Nor  is  the  great  adversiary  idle  on  this  occasion. 
The  man,  who  shall  do  much  good,  will  thereby  do 
much  harm  to  his  empire.  It  would  be  surprising  if 
the  devil  should  not  "seek  to  devour,"  or  take  an  ex- 
quisite revenge  upon  such  men  of  God.  And  nnless 
God  should  lay  an  nncom>non  restraint  u[)on  that 
"wicked  one,"  such  is  "the  power  of  the  adversary," 
&nd  so  great  an  influence  has  he  over  the  minds  of  mul- 
titudes, that  he  will  bitterly  revenge  himself  upon  any 
remarkable  "doer  of  good  :"  he  will  procure  him  a  troop 
of  enemies,  and  whole  vol  lies  of  re{)roaches.  But,  O 
thou  servant  of  God,  by  him  thou  shalt  "run  through  a 
troop ;"  by  thy  God  thou  shalt  "leap  over  a  wall."  We 
should  be  so  far  from  wondering  that  wicked  men  are 
enraged  at  the  man  who  does  much  good ;  that  they 
spread  so  many  false  reports,  and  VvTite  so  many  libels 
on  his  character,  that  we  ought  rather  to  wonder  the 
devil  does  not  make  this  world  hotter  than  a  Baby- 
lonish furnace  for  him ;  too  hot  for  his  continuing  in  it. 
Sirs,  if  you  will  do  much,  it  is  very  likely  that  the  dev- 
il may  sometimes  raise  upon  your  op[>ortunities  to  do 
good,  such  a  horrible  tempest  as  may  threaten  their 
utter  ruin.  You  may  fear  to  have  your  serviceable- 
iie3s — the  "apple  of  your  eye"  struck  out :  you  may 
}>e  <lriven  to  prayers,  to  tears,  and  to  frequent  fasting 


CONCT.TJSIOK.  171 


>a  secret,  on  this  account.  Prostrate  in  the  tlust,  yoii 
must  Oiferup  your  supplications  with  strong  crying  and 
tears,  to  him  that  is  able  to  save  your  "opportunities  of 
usefulness  from  death  ;"  you  must  cry  out,  "0  deliver 
my  soul,"  my  serviceableness,  "from  the  sword,  my 
darling  from  the  power  of  the  dog  !'*  The  words  of  the 
great  Baxter  are  to  the  purpose,  and  worthy  to  be  in- 
troduced on  this  occasion: 

"The  temptations  and  suggestions  of  Satan,  yea,  and 
often  his  external  and  contrived  snares,  are  such  as  fre- 
quently to  give  men  a  palpable  discovery  of  his  agen- 
cy. "Whence  is  it  that  such  wonderful  successive 
trains  of  impediments  are  set  in  the  way  of  almost  every 
man  that  intends  any  great  and  good  work  in  the  world  ? 
I  have,  among  men  of  my  own  acquaintance,  observed 
Buch  wonderful  frustrations  of  many  designed  excellent 
works,  by  such  strange,  unexpected  mean?,  such  a  va- 
riety of  them,  and  so  powerfully  carried  on,  that  I  have 
been  convinced  there  is  a  most  vehement,  invisible  mal- 
ice permitted  by  God  to  resist  mankind,  and  to  militate 
against  all  good  in  the  world.  Let  a  man  have  any 
work  of  the  greatest,  natural  importance,  which  tends  to 
no  great  benefit  to  mankind,  and  he  may  proceed  with- 
out any  extraordinary  impediment.  But  let  him  have 
any  great  design  for  the  common  good,  in  things  that 
tend  to  destroy  sin  to  heal  divisions,  to  revive  charity, 
to  increase  virtue,  and  to  save  men's  souls,  yea,  or  to 
the  public  common  felicity;  and  his  impediments  shall 
be  so  multifarious,  so  far-fetched,  so  subtle,  so  inces- 
sant, and  in  spite  of  all  his  care  and  resolution,  usually 
so  successful,  that  he  shall  seem  to  himself  like  a  man 
that  is  held  fast,  hand  and  foot,  while  he  sees  no  one 
touch  him ;  or  that  sees  a  hundred  blocks  brought  and 
cast  before  him  in  his  way,  while  he  sees  no  one  do  it*^'' 


172  CONCLUSION". 


I  have  transcribed  this  passage  that  such  opposition 
may  not  come  upon  any  one  unexpectedly.  O  thou 
doer  of  good,  expect  a  conflict  with  wicked  spirits  in 
high  ph\ces,  to  clog  all  the  good  thou  dost  propose  to 
do.  Expect  that  they  will  make  ceaseless  endeavors 
to  overwhehn  thee,  by  instilling  into  the  minds  of  men, 
vile  ideas  concerning  thee,  and  by  putting  into  their 
mouths  calumnies  against  thee.  These  will  be  some 
of  their  devices  to  defeat  all  thy  proposals:  *'be  not 
ignorant  of  Satan*s  devices." 

Yea,  and  if  the  devil  were  asleep,  there  is  malignity 
enough  in  the  hearts  of  wicked  men  themselves,  to  ren- 
der a  man,  who  wishes  lo  do  good,  very  offensive  and 
troublesome  to  them.  They  are  the  offspring  of  him 
who  "slew  his  brother  because  his  works  were  right- 
eous f  and  they  will  malign  a  man  because  he  is  use- 
ful to  other  men.  Indeed,  "to  be  spoken  ill  of  by  the 
wicked  is  to  be  praised."*  Wicked  ifnen  will  curse  a 
man  because  lie  is  a  blessing.  Base  and  wicked  dis- 
position ! 

I  happened  once  to  be  present  in  the  room  wher^  a 
dying  man  could  not  leave  the  world  until  he  had  la- 
mented to  a  minister,  whom  he  had  sent  for  on  this  ac- 
count, the  unjust  calumnies  and  injuries  which  he  had 
often  cast  upon  him.  The  minister  asked  the  poor 
penitent  what  was  the  occasion  of  his  abusive  conduc( : 
whether  he  had  been  imposed  upon  by  any  false  re- 
ports. The  man  made  this  horrible  answer:  "No,  sir; 
it  was  merely  this;  1  thought  you  were  a  good  man, 
and  that  you  did  much  good  in  the  world,  and  there- 
fore I  hated  you*  Is  it  possible,  is  it  possible,"  said  the 
poor  sinner,  "for  such  a  wretch  to  find  pardon  ?-'  Tru- 


iMalJs  displlcere  est  laudarl 


CONCLUSIO!!^.'  1' 


iy,  though  other  causes  may  be  assigned  for  the  spite 
antl  I  ego  of  wicked  men  against  a  person  of  active  be- 
nevolence, yet  1  shall  not  be  deceived  if  I  fear  that  a 
secret  antipathy  to  the  kingdom  of  God  lies  at  the  bot- 
tom of  it.  Or,  in  proud  men  it  may  frequently  be  pale 
envy,  enraged  that  other  men  are  more  useful  in  the 
world  than  they,  and  vexing  themselves  with  more 
than  SkilUtJi  torments,  at  the  sight  of  what  God  and 
man  unite  to  perform.  "They  see  it  and  are  grieved." 
"He  is  not  a  good  man  who  has  not  goodness  enough 
to  call  forth  envy  and  hatred."*  But  you  must  not 
"think  strange  of  the  trial,"  if  men  "speak  evil  of  you," 
after  you  have  done  good  to  many,  yea,  to  those  very 
persons  who  thus  speak.  It  will  not  be  strange  if  you 
should  "hear  the  defaming  of  many ;  if  the  men  who 
do  not  love  the  holy  ways  of  the  Lord  in  his  churches, 
should  have  no  love  to  j^ou;  if  javelins  should  be 
thrown  at  you  with  the  most  impetuous  rage ;  and  if 
pamphlets  filled  with  falsehood  and  slander  should  be 
published  agaici-t  you.  God  may  wisely  and  in  much 
faithfulness  permit  these  things  "lo  hide  pride  from 
you."  "O  how  much  of  that  deadly  poison,  pride, 
still  remains  v,'ithin  us ;  for  which  notlilng  short  of 
poison  is  an  antidote !"f  Alas!  while  we  still  cany 
about  us  the  grave-clothes  of  pride,  these  rough  hands 
are  the  best  that  can  be  employed  to  pull  them  off.  Ii 
you  should  meet  with  such  things,  you  must  bear  them 
with  much  meekness,  much  silence,  great  self-abase= 
ment,  and  a  disposition  to  forgive  the  worst  of  all  your 
persecutors;  *'Being  defamed,  you  must  entreat."  Be 
well  pleased  if  you  can  redeem  any  opportunities  to 

*  Non  bonus  est  qui  ncn  ad  iiivkliam  usque  bonus  est. 
f  O  quantum  est  venQnum  supciblte,  quod  non  potest  nisi 
veneng  euiari. 

P2, 


1/4-  CONCLTTSlOlt. 


do  good.  Be  ready  to  do  good  even  to  those  from 
TS'hom  you  suffer  evil.  And  when  you  have  done  aii 
the  good  in  your  power,  account  yourself  well  paid  if 
you  escape  as  well  as  the  crane  did  from  the  wolf;  if 
you  are  not  punished  for  what  you  do.  In  short,  be 
insensible  of  any  merit  in  your  performances.  Lie  in 
the  dust,  and  be  willing  that  both  God  and  man  should 
lay  you  there.  Endeavor  to  reconcile  your  mind  to 
indignities.  Entertain  them  with  all  the  calmness  and 
temper  imaginable.  Be  content  that  three  hundred  in 
Sparta  should  be  preferred  before  you.  When  envi- 
ous men  can  fix  upon  you  no  other  blemish,  they  v.  iii 
say  of  you,  as  they  said  of  Cyprian,  that  you  are  a 
proud  man,  because  you  do  not  jog  on  in  their  heavy 
road  of  slothfulness.  Bear  this  also,  with  a  still  more 
profound  humility.  It  is  the  last  effort  usually  made 
by  the  dying  "pride  of  life,"  to  bear  the  charge  of  pride 
aith  impatience. 

Ye  useful  men,  your  acceptance  with  your  Savior, 
and  with  God  through  him,  and  your  recompense  in 
the  world  to  come,  are  to  carry  you  cheerfully  through 
all  your  '^essays"  at  usefulness.  To  be  "reprobate  for 
*3Tery  good  work"  is  a  character  from  which  it  will  be 
the  wisdom  of  all  men  to  fly,  with  the  greatest  dread 
imaginable.  And  to  be  ''always  abounding  in  the  work 
•of  the  Lord"  is  the  truest  and  highest  wisdom.  It  is  the 
**wisdom  which  is  from  above,  full  of  mercy  and  good 
fruits."  The  sluggards  who  do  no  good  in  the  world  are 
"'wise  in  their  own  conceit;"  but  themen  who  are  diligent 
in  doing  goodcan  give  such  a  reason  for  what  they  do,as 
proves  them  to  be  Yeally  wise.  Men  "leave  off  to  be 
T/ise,"  when  they  leave  off  to  "do  good."  The  wisdom 
il^f  it  appears  in  this :  it  is  the  best  way  of  spending  oui: 
iime ;  that  time  is  "well  spent  which  is  employed  in  d'^ 


CONCLUSION.  ITa 


iug  good.  It  is  also  a  sure  ami  pleasant  way  effectual- 
ly to  bespeak  the  blessings  of  God  on  ourselves.  Who 
so  likely  io  Jindhksshigs  as  the  men  that  are  blessings  / 
It  has  been  said,  "he  who  lives  well,  always  prays."*^' 
And  I  will  add,  "he  who  acts  well,  prays  well."t  Ev- 
ery action  we  perform  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  is,  in 
effect,  a  prayer  for  the  blessing  of  God.  While  we  are 
at  work  for  God,  certainly  he  will  be  at  Avork  for  us 
and  ours.  He  will  do  for  us  far  more  than  we  have 
done  for  him ;  "more  than  we  can  ask  or  think."  There 
is  a  voice  in  every  good  action :  it  is  this  ;  "0  do  good 
unto  those  that  are  good."  Thus  iny  Bonifacius  again 
sustains  the  name  of  Btnedictus  also :  yea,  and  there 
may  be  this  more  particular  effect  of  what  we  do ;  while 
we  employ  our  ioveution.for  the  interests  of  God,  it  is 
very  probable  that  we  shall  sharpen  it  for  our  own. 
We  shall  become  the  more  wise  for  ourselves,  because 
we  have  been  "wise  to  do  good."  And  of  the  man  who 
is  compared  to  a  "tree  that  brings  forth  fruit,"  we  read 
« 'whatsoever  he  doeth  shall  prosper. '  Kor  caa  a  man 
take  a  readier  way  to  ''live  joyfully  ali  the  days  of  the 
life  of  his  vanity,  which  God  hath  given  him  under 
the  sun ."  for,  in  this  case,  our  life  will  not  be  thrown 
away  in  <' vanity,"  nor  shall  we  live  "in  vain."  My 
friend,  "go  thy  way,"  and  be  joyful,  "for  God  accept- 
eth  thy  works."  Our  "few  and  evil"  days  are  render- 
ed much  less  so,  by  our  doing  good  in  every  one  of 
them,  as  it  rolls  ovej'our  heads :  yea,  the  holy  Spirit  of 
God,  who  is  the  quickener  of  those  who  "do  good  with- 
out ceasing,"  will  also  be  their  comforter.  Every  day 
in  which  we  are  active  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  will 


*  Qiu  bene  vlvet,  semper  orat! 
i  Qi^i  ^ene  agit^  bene  orat. 


176  CONCLUSION. 


foe  in  some  measure  a  day  of  Pentecost  to  us ;  a  daj 
of  the  Holy  Spirit's  coming  upon  us.  The  "cousola- 
fions  of  God"  will  not  be  '^smaU"  \Yith  the  man  who  h 
full  of  contrivances  for  God,  and  for  his  kingdom.  In 
short,  we  read,  "the  vallies  are  covered  over  with 
corn  ;  they  shout  for  joy,  they  also  siug,"  We  may- 
be in  low  circumstances,  in  the  valley  of  humiliation, 
but  if  we  abound  in  the  fruits  of  well  doing,  we  shall 
find  this  valley  "covered  over  with  corn."  When  this 
is  the  case,  we  shall  "shout  for  joy,  and  also  sing " 
The  consciousness  of  what  we  do,  and  of  what  we  aim 
to  do,  will  be  a  "continual  feast"  to  us.  "Our  rejoic- 
ing in  this,  the  testimony  of  our  conscience."  "A 
good  action  is  its  own  reward."*  Indeed  the  pleasure 
that  is  experienced  in  the  peformance  of  good  actions 
is  inexpressible,  is  unparalleled,  is  angelical :  it  is  a 
most  refined  pleasure,  more  to  be  envied  than  any 
sensual  gratification.  Pleasure  was  long  since  defined, 
"the  result  of  some  excellent  action."  This  pleasure 
is  a  sort  of  holy  luxury.  Most  pitiable  are  they  who 
will  continue  strangers  to  it! 

When  the  useful  man  comes  to  his  Nunc  dimiUis, 
then  he,  who  lived  beloved,  shall  die  lamented.  It 
shall  be  witnessed  and  remembered  of  him,  "that  he 
was  one  who  did  good  in  Israel :" — An  epitaph,  the 
glory  of  which  is  far  beyond  that  of  the  most  stately- 
pyramid.  Then  the  calumniators,  who  once  endeav- 
ored to  destroy  his  reputation,  shall  have  nothing  to 
reflect  upon  but  the  impotence  of  their  own  defeated 
malice.  A  Thersiies  will  not  have  a  more  disadvan- 
tageous article  in  his  character  than  this,  that  he  was 
an  enemy  to  such  a  Ulysses. 

But  what  shall  be  done  for  this  good  man  ill  the 


Rede  fecisse  m^rces  est. 


CONCLUSION.  177 


heavenly  world  ?  His  part  and  his  work  in  the  city  of 
God  ar«  at  jiresent  incomprehensible  to  us  :  but  the 
"kindness,"  which  his  God  will  shew  to  him  in  the 
*'strong  city,"  will  be  truly  "marvellous."  Austin, 
writing  on  this  subject,  exclaimed,  "how  great  will 
be  the  felicity  of  that  cit}^  where  no  evil  will  be  seen, 
110  good  concealed."*  The  attempts  which  the  Chris- 
tian has  made  to  fill  this  world  with  "righteous 
things"  are  so  many  tokens  for  good  to  him,  that  he 
shall  have  a  portion  in  that  world  wherein  shall  dwell 
nothing  but  "righteousness."  He  will  be  introduced 
into  that  world,  with  a  sentence  from  the  mouth  of 
the  glorious  Jesus,  which  will  be  worth  ten  thousand 
worlds  : — "Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant !" 
And,  O  !  what  shall  be  done  for  him  !  lie  has  done 
•what  he  could  for  the  honor  of  the  King  of  heaven ; 
and  every  thing  shall  be  done  for  him  that  can  be  done 
for  one  whom  th€  King  of  heaven  "delightetb  to 
honor." 

I  will  give  you  tlie  whole  summed  up  in  one  word  : 
"Mercy  and  truth  shall  be  to  them  that  devise  good." 
Ye  children  of  God,  there  is  a  character  of  "mercy 
and  truth"  in  all  the  good  that  you  devise.  You  de- 
vise how  to  deal  mercifully  and  truly  with  every  one, 
and  to  induce  every  one  to  do  so  too.  And  the  mercy 
and  truth  of  God.,  which  are  forever  engaged  on  your 
behalf,  will  sufler  you  in  this  life  to  "lack  no  good 
thing,"  and  will  hereafter  do  you  good  beyond  what 
the  heart  of  man  can  yet  conceive.  A  faithful  God 
has  promised  it— 'Hhe  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
it" 

I  remember  what  Calvin  said  when  the  order  for 


*  Qiianta  eiit  ilia  fellcitas,  ubi  nullum  eilt  malum,  null-jtr, 
latebit  bonum  ! 


178  CONCLUSION, 

his  banishment  from  ungrateful  Geneva  vr^s  brought  to 
him  :  "Most  assuredly,  if  I  had  merely  served  man, 
this  ^ould  have  been  a  poor  recompense  :  but  it  is  my 
happiness  that  I  have  served  Him  \^'ho  never  fails  to 
reward  his  servants  to  the  full  extent  of  his  promise."^ 
I  will  conclude  with  a  declaration  which  I  will  bold- 
ly maintain :  It  is  this  :  Were  a  man  able  to  write  in 
seven  languao;es ;  could  he  daily  converse  with  the 
sweets  of  all  the  liberal  sciences  to  which  the  most  ac- 
complished men  make  pretensions  '^  were  he  to  enter- 
tain himself  with  all  ancient  and  modern  history ;  and 
could  he  feast  continually  on  the  curiosities  which  the 
different  branches  of  learning  may  discover  to  him  *. — 
All  this  would  not  afford  the  ravishing  satisfaction 
^hich  he  might  find  in  relieving  the  distresses  of  a 
poor,  miserable  neighbor;  nor  would  it  bear  any  com- 
parison with  the  heartfelt  delight  which  he  might  ob- 
tain by  doing  an  extensive  service  to  the  kingdom  of 
our  great  Savior  in  the  world,  or  by  exerting  his  ef- 
forts to  redress  the  miseries  under  which  mankind  is 
gei^erally  languishing. 


*  Certe  si  hominibus  servivisiem,  mala  inihi  merces  per- 
•olveretur  ;  sed  bene  est,  qaod  ei  inservivi,  qui  nunquam 
^on  eervis  suis  rependit,  quod  semel  promlslt. 


THE  END, 


ON  FULFILLING  ENGAGEMENTS 

AND 

PAYING  DEBTS. 


\Trom  a  Sermon  by  the  late  President  Edwards^  on  Ex- 
odus XX.  15.     Thou  shall  not  5^ea/."] 

There  are  many  ways  in  which  persons  may  un- 
justly iisMrp  their  neij^hbor's  property,  by  withholding 
Tvhat  is  his  due ;  but  1  shall  particularize  at  this  time 
only  two  things : 

1.  The  unfaithfulness  of  men-ki  not  fulfilling  their 
engngcraent^.  Ordinarily  when  men  promise  any 
Ihing  to  their  neighbor,  or  enter  into  engagements,  by 
undertaking  any  business  with  which  their  neighbor 
€ntrusis  them,  th(  ir  engagements  invest  their  neighbor 
with  a  right  to  that  which  is  engaged ;  so  that  if  they 
-ivithhold  it,  they  usurp  that  which  belongs  to  their 
neighbor.  So  it  is  when  men  break  their  promises,  be- 
cause they  find  them  to  be  inconvenient,  and  they 
cannot  fujfii  them  without  diiTiculty  and  trouble  ;  or 
merely  because  they  have  altered  their  minds  since  they 
promised.  They  think  they  have  not  consulted  theirown 
interests  in  the  promise  which  they  have  made,  and  that 
if  they  had  considered  the  matter  as  much  before  they 
promised,  as  they  have  since,  they  should  not  have 
promised.  'J'herefore  they  take  the  liberty  to  set  their 
own  promises  aside  Besides,  sometimes  persons  vi- 
olate this  cofDmand,  by  neglecting  to  fulfil  their  en- 
gagements, through  a  careless,  negligent  spirit. 

They  violnte  this  command,  in  withholding  what 
belongs  to  their  neighbor,  when  they  are  not  faitiiful 


18§  On  fulfilling  Engagements. 

in  any  business  which  they  have  undertaken  to  do  for 
their  neighbor.  If  thtir  neighbor  has  hired  them  to 
labor  (ot  hirn  for  a  certain  time,  and  they  be  not  care- 
ful well  to  husband  the  time ;  if  they  be  hired  to  day's 
labor,  and  be  not  careful  to  improve  the  day,  as  they 
have  reason  to  think  he  who  hired  them  justly  expect- 
ed of  them  ;  or  if  they  be  hired  to  accomplish  such  a 
piece  of  work,  and  be  not  careful  to  do  it  well,  but  do 
it  slightly,  do  it  not  as  if  it  were  for  themselves,  or  as 
they  wouhi  have  others  do  for  them,  when  they  in  like 
manner  entrust  them  with  any  business  of  their's  ;  or 
if  they  be  entrusted  with  any  particular  affair,  which 
they  undertake,  but  use  not  that  care,  contrivance, 
and  diligence,  to  manage  it  so  as  will  be  to  the  advan- 
tage of  him  who  entrusts  them,  and  as  they  would  man- 
age it,  or  would  insist  that  it  should  be  managed,  if  the 
aifair  were  their  own  ;  in  all  these  cases  they  unjustly 
withhold  what  belongs  to  their  neighbor. 

2.  Another  way  in  which  men  unjustly  withhold 
what  is  their  neighbor's,  is  in  neglecting  to  pay  their 
debts.  Sometimes  this  happens,  because  they  run  so 
far  into  debt  that  they  cannot  reasonably  hope  to  be 
able  to  pay  their  debts ;  and  this  they  do,  either  through 
pride  and  affection  of  living  above  their  circumstances  j 
or  through  a  grasping,  covetous  disposition,  or  some 
other  corrupt  principle.  Sometimes  they  neglect  to 
pay  their  debts  (Vom  carelessness  of  spirit  about  it,  lit- 
tle concerning  themselves  whether  they  are  paid  or 
not,  taking  no  care  to  go  to  their  creditors,  or  to  send 
to  him ;  and  if  they  see  him  froni  time  to  time,  they 
say  nothing  about  their  debts.  Sometimes  they  neg- 
lect to  pay  their  debts,  because  it  would  put  them  to 
some  inconvenience.  The  reason  why  they  do  it  not^ 
is  not  because  they  cannot  do  it,  but  because  the/ 


On  fulfilling  Engagements.  181 


cannot  do  it  so  conveniently  as  they  desire ;  and  so 
they  rather  chuse  to  put  their  creditor  to  inconven- 
ience by  being  without  what  properly  belongs  to  him, 
than  to  put  themselves  to  inconvenience  by  being 
without  what  doth  not  belong  to  them,  and  what  they 
have  no  right  to  detain.  In  any  of  these  cases,  they 
unjustly  usurp  the  property  of  their  neighbor. 

Sometimes  persons  have  that  by  them  with  which 
they  could  pay  their  debts  if  they  would;  but  they 
■want  to  lay  out  their  money  for  something  else,  to  buy 
gay  clothing  for  their  children,  or  to  advance  their 
estates,  or  for  some  such  end.  They  have  other  de- 
signs in  hand,  which  must  fail,  if  they  pay  their  debts. 
When  men  thus  withhold  what  is  due,  they  unjustly 
usurp  what  is  not  their  own.  Sometimes  they  neglect 
to  pay  their  debts,  and  their  excuse  for  it  is,  that  their 
creditor  doth  not  need  it ;  that  he  hath  a  plentiful  es- 
tate, and  can  well  bear  to  lie  out  of  his  money.  But 
if  the  creditor  be  ever  so  rich,  that  gives  no  right  to 
the  debtor,  to  withhold  from  him  that  which  belongs 
to  him.  If  it  be  due,  it  ought  to  be  paid ;  for  that  is 
the  very  notion  of  its  being  due  It  is  no  more  law- 
ful to  withhold  from  a  man  what  is  his  due,  without 
his  consent,  because  he  is  rich  and  able  to  do  without 
it,  than  it  is  lawful  to  steal  from  a  mau  because  he  is 
rich  and  able  to  bear  the  loss. 


ON  THE  RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  01' 
CHILDREN. 


[From  the  Christian  Observer.] 


We  are  the  parents  of  several  young  cliildren,  and 
are  anxious  for  their  salvation.  Not  long  since,  one 
of  our  little  boys  went  to  visit  a  very  kind  friend,  who 
has  been  remarkably  successful  in  the  pious  education 
of  his  family.  We  were  desirous  to  have  our  friend's 
opinion  of  our  son.  His  leading  observation  was,  that 
the  child  did  not  shew  a  cordial  concern  for  his  faults. 
Feeling  the  justice  of  this  sentiment,  and  our  own  in- 
experience, vve  requested  him  to  tell  us  at  length  how, 
under  God's  grace,  this  concern  might  be  best  excit- 
ed :  which  drew  from  him  the  first  of  the  following  let- 
ters. We  still  expressed  doubts  oq  the  subject  of  cor- 
rection by  the  rod,  whether  it  should  ever  be  used  at 
all,  or  whether  it  should  ever  be  used,  where  some 
contrition  has  been  already  i)roduced  by  affectionate 
and  serious  conversation.  This  procured  us  the  bene- 
fit of  the  second  letter.  Having  found  these  letters  of 
considerable  use  in  the  religious  education  of  our  child- 
ren, and  having  obtained  permission  from  our  truly 
christian  friend  to  make  them  public,  we  beg  to  send 
them  to  you,  in  the  hope  that  you  will  judge  them  well 
worthy  of  insertion  in  the  Christian  Observer. 

PARENTES. 

"My  dear  sir, 

"The  subject  on  wliicli  you  request  my  senti- 
jQieats,  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  education. 


On  the  Religious  Educalion  of  Children.      183 


Without  a  cordial  concern  for  a  fault,  no  sound  founda- 
tion is  laid  for  it?  cure.  Even  if  the  parent  looked  no 
farther  than  to  worldly  princijiles,  to  mere  prudence 
and  fair  character,  this  would  be  true.  It  is  eminently 
and  obviously  true,  when  the  reference  is  to  religion, 
and  to  God  who  searches  the  heart.  Without  this  cor- 
€Ual  concern  there  can  be  no  repentance,  and  without 
repentance  there  can  be  neither  forgiveness  nor  the  di- 
vine blessing; ;  and  therefore  all  must  be  unsound,  even 
if  outward  reformation  be  obtained.  I  ought  to  apolo- 
gize, for  repeating  truths  so  familiar  to  you,  as  applied 
to  adults,  if  not  also  as  applied  to  children,  to  whom 
they  are  equally  applicable.  It  is  their  very  high  and 
fundamental  importance,  and  their  not  meeting  with 
due  attention  in  education,  even  from  very  many  t-eli* 
gious  parents,  which  induces  me  to  state  them.  I  too 
frequently  see  parents  make  the  reformation  of  their 
chiIdren'^  faults  a  matter,  in  which  religion  is  scarcely, 
if  at  all,  referred  to;  and  little  or  no  appeal  is  directed 
to  the  heart  and  conscience.  'J'hus  morality  comes  to 
be  considered  as  consisting  entirely  (or  nearly  so)  in 
mere  outward  observances :  God,  Christ,  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  pre  little  brought  into  view  in  the  course  of  the 
child's  daily  conduct;  and  he  gets  into  the  habit  of  be- 
ing satisfied  with  himself,  if  he  does  nothing  contrary 
to  rule,  though  his  motives  may  not  have  been  holy, 
and  his  heart  may  have  been  in  a  very  indifferent  stale. 
You  could  describe  to  me,  better  than  I  to  you,  the 
evils  of  such  a  state,  and  the  hardness  of  conscience 
and  other  future  miseries  threatened  by  it. 

'^The   system   here  has  been,   carefully  to  coun- 
teract these  evils,  both  present  and  future,  by  doing 
our  best  to  lead  our  children  to  have  God  in  all  their 
houghts,  and  to  habitual  daily  repentance  and  tender- 


IS4      On  the  Religious  Education  of  Children. 


ness  of  conscience  before  him : — in  short,  to  that  frame 
of  mind,  making  proper  allowance  for  their  age,  which 
is  required  in  all  of  us  by  our  Heavenly  Father.  To 
this  end  we  always  endeavor,  in  correcting  a  fault  in 
a  child,  to  have  a  right  religious  view  of  it,  and  to  give 
the  child,  partly  by  precept  and  illustration,  and  part- 
ly by  sympathy  (for  'si  vis  me  flere  dolendum  est  prim- 
um  ipsi  tibi,'  is  eminently  applicable  in  this  case)  a 
right  feeling  respecting  it,  as  an  offence  against  hiis 
Maker,  Redeemer,  and  Sancfitier.  It  is  too  common, 
as  you  know,  to  cut  short  the  notice  of  a  fault.  It  is 
strongly  blamed — the  child  undergoes  some  punish- 
n:ent  perhaps — perhaps  he  is  threatened  with  severe 
punishment  if  he  repeats  the  fault ;  or  perhaps  he  is  re- 
quired to  say,  that  he  is  sorry,  and  will  not  repeat  it. 
The  parent  is  peremptory,  the  child  is  frightened,  and 
all  is  over  in  a  very  short  time,  without  any  useful  im- 
pression on  the  ciiiUl,  except  that  be  is  less  disposed 
to  commit  the  outward  act  which  has  drawn  upon  him 
these  animadversions.  Mrs, and  I,  on  the  con- 
trary, endeavor  to  make  every  fault  of  our  children  to 
be  felt  by  them  as  an  offence  against  God,  and  a  sin 
to  be  repented  of,  and  thereupon  to  be  pardoned  through 
our  Savior.  We  therefore  carefully  guard  against  the 
child's  thinking  his  fault  is  reproved  as  a  personal  of- 
fence against  ourselves.  We  talk  to  him  solemnly,  but 
tenderly;  feeling  and  expressing  much  concern  that  he 
has  oStvUded  God ;  contrasting  his  conduct  with  the  love 
of  God  :  painting  the  pleasure  with  which  his  holiness 
•would  be  receivetl  in  heaven,  particularly  by  Clirist, 
and  the  pain  which  his  sin  has  occasioned.  In  short, 
we  talk  with  him,  "mutatis  mutandis,''  as  with  a  friend 
with  whom  we  tenderly  sympathise,  while  we  feel  we 
have  a  right  to  command.    We  temper  the  terrors  of 


On  the  Pi^eligious  Education  of  Children.      185 


the  Lord  with  representations  of  his  love  and  mercy ; 
and  we  persevere  in  this  course,  till  the  child's  mind 
appears  humble  and  softened,  and  brought  into  such  a 
penitent  frame,  as  God  looks  upon  with  favor.  The 
w  hole  ends  often  in  a  short  affectionate  prayer  of  half 
a  minute,  or  a  minute,  for  pardon  and  grace,  dictated 
by  ourselves,  as  far  as  the  child's  own  thoughts  will 
not  of  themselves  supply  it.  This  process  is  never 
hurried  over,  nor  is  it  ever  brought  to  a  conclusion  be- 
fore the  end  appears  to  be  attained ;  as  nolliing  can  be 
more  important,  so  nothing  is  suffered  to  supersede  or 
interrupt  it.  It  is  taken  up  reri/ early,  and  is  always 
accommodated  in  its  different  parts  to  the  years  and 
knowledge  of  the  child.  It  appears  formidable  on  pa- 
per, but  it  is  surprising  how  short,  and  even  pleasant  it 
is,  in  all  common  cases,  through  its  being  commenced 
so  early,  and  habitually  practised.  It  has  almost  ban^ 
ished  punishment  from  our  house,  and  has  brought  with 
it  various  other  good  consequences.  I  need  not  say, 
that  a  gootl  deal  of  discrimination  and  discretion  must 
be  exercised  by  the  parent.  Religion  must  be  made  ta 
wear  an  amiable  and  endearing,  as  we!]  as  an  awful 
countenance.  The  bruised  reed  must  not  be  broken ; 
the  feelings  mu^t  not  be  excited  beyond  what  nature 
will  bear;  and  if  a  storm  of  feeling  arises^  it  must  be 
allayed  without  any  improper  indulgence,  destf  uctive 
of  the  effect  which  was  aimed  at.  You  will  see,  tliat 
sagacity  and  self-command  ere  wanted  on  the  part  of 
the  parent,  which  cannot  be  hoped  for,  if  he  do  not 
Bjaintain  an  unruffled  mind. 

"There  are  some  necessary  concomitants  of  this 
system,  which,  were  they  not  so,  would  be  recom- 
mended by  their  own  intrinsic  im])ovtance.  Holy 
things  must  always  be  apnrCiWhed  in  a  holy  way, 

q.2. 


186       On  the  Religious  Education  of  Children. 


^riie  Bible  must  never  be  read  with  levity  or  intlilfer- 
ence.  Hymns,  and  the  Catechism,  must  never  bejcdi- 
heredosev^  or  repeated  with  that  hard  ton?  and  manner, 
which  bespeaks  an  unconsciousness  of  their  sacred  na- 
ture. Religion  must  practically  be  made  the  main- 
spring of  life ;  and  she  must  not  only  be  so,  but  appear  t5 
be  so,  without  departing  from  her  native  modesty,  anel 
without  losing  dignity  by  the  frequency  of  her  intro- 
duction, or  by  the  kindness  with  which  she  is  invested. 
You  will  be  aware  that  difficulties,  and  very  great 
ones,  must  be  encountered,  where,  instead  of  habits  of 
proper  feeling  and  repentance  on  committing  faults 
having  been  formed  from  infancy,  other  habits  have 
been  formed.  These  difficulties  are  in  their  kind  the 
same  with  what  you  clergymen  meei  with  in  bringing 
adults  to  repentance.  In  their  degree,  they  will  be 
greater  or  less  according  to  circumstanceSa  I  had  a 
child  here  for  several  months,  some  time  ago,  whom  I 
could  never  bring  to  quite  a  satisfactory  state  of  mind 
on  his  committing  faults ;  owing,  as  I  believe,  to  the 
errors  of  his  previous  education.  With  our  own  cliild- 
ren  we  have  never  experienced  very  formidable  diffi- 
culties, God  be  praised!  His  is  the  work;  but  he 
makes  great  use  of  the  instrumentality  of  parents,  and 
gives,  as  I  believe,  an  especial  blessing  to  a  well  di- 
rected early  education. 

*'/  remain^  <^*C'" 

*'My  dear  sir, 

"As  our's  is  quite  a  Sunday  subject,  I  will  era- 
ploy  a  little  of  to-day  in  giving  you  my  tiioughts  up- 
on it. 

*^  With  respect  to  punishments,  our  practice  has  been 

very  generally  to  omit  the  employment  of  them  alto- 


On  ilie  Religious  Education  of  Children.      187 


gether,  Tvhen  the  child  was  brou/];ht  to  real  repent- 
ance; but  at  any  rate  to  confine  their  use  on  sfuch  oc- 
casions to  strong  cases,  and  tlien  to  em{)!oy  restraints, 
and  not  corporal  correction.  But  we  have  endeitvor- 
ed  to  recal  the  child's  mind  to  faults,  from  time  to  time, 
in  a  solemn  but  tender  manner,  that  they  might  not  slip 
out  of  his  remembrance ;  and  especially  at  prayer  time, 
and  other  seasons  when  it  appeared  likely  to  be  done 
with  most  efifect. 

"We  have  been  led  to  this  course,  partly  by  feeling ; 
but  it  has  accorded  with  our  principles,  as  I  will  en- 
deavor to  explain. 

"The  great  and  leading  use  of  punishments  (in  the 
case  of  children  at  least)  seems  to  be,  to  humble  the 
mind  at  the  time  of  a  fault,  and  prepare  it  for  repent- 
ance; or,  when  infilicted  after  a  fault,  to  impress  the 
fault  more  on  the  memory,  that  repentance  for  it  may 
be  more  abiding :  and  in  both  cases,  to  deter  from  a 
repetition  of  the  crime,  through  fear  of  a  repetition  of 
the  suffering.  Now  though  it  has  these  uses,  it  has 
also  evils  attending  it.  The  parent's  temper  is  apt  to 
be  ruffled  in  inflicting  it,  and  the  child's  to  be  soured 
and  hardened  in  receiving  it ;  and  the  fear  of  it  is  apt 
to  lead  to  concealment  and  deceit  in  a  child,  and  also 
apt  to  turn  his  eyes  too  much  from  God  to  man,  and 
from  the  spiritual  to  the  temporal  consequences  of 
crimes.  'Perfect  love  casteth  out  fear ;'  and  one  would 
wish  to  lead  a  child  towards  that  state  a£  fast  as  may 
be,  and  to  foster  and  cherish  the  love  of  Christ,  as  the 
great  constraining  principle,  in  his  bosom.  Endeavors 
to  this  end  will  be  not  a  little  counteracted  by  a  sys- 
tem which  draws  his  mind  habitually,  on  the  commis- 
giou  of  faults,  to  human  punishments. 

"Yiewing  things  iu  this  light,  we  look  on  punish- 


188      On  Ihe  Religious  Education  of  Children. 


ments  as  never  to  be  had  recourse  to,  in  Christian  edu- 
cation, when  it  can  be  avoided ;  and  we  think  we  have 
found,  that,  under  the  system  I  described  in  my  last 
letter,  for  promoting  true  repentance  in  a  child,  it  may 
be  avoided  with  advantage  in  almost  all  cases,  when, 
under  that  system,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  the  mind  is 
become  ingenuous  and  the  conscience  tender.  In 
cases  of  obstinacy,  whether  it  takes  the  form  of  vio- 
lence or  sullenness ;  if  candor  and  kindness,  and  sol- 
emn but  calm  representations,  and  a  countenance  and 
manner  in  the  parent  the  very  reverse  of  that  of  the 
child,  will  not  in  some  moderate  time  produce  the  de- 
sired effect  on  the  child's  mind,  (which  they  common- 
ly will,  after  the  system  in  question  has  been  followed 
for  some  time  in  a  family)  punishment  must  be  resort- 
ed to:  'Debellare  superbos.*  But  even  in  this  case  it 
should  be  sparing  and  moderate,  and  inflicted  gradual- 
ly, so  as  to  give  time  to  the  child  to  recover  itself  from 
its  fit  of  perverseness ;  and  when  its  temper  is  altered, 
and  bends  to  the  yoke,  and  gives  place  to  contrition 
and  docility,  the  punishment  should  cease.  It  is  to 
the  full  as  necessary,  in  a  sj'stem  under  a  God  of  love, 
the  leading  principles  of  which  therefore  should  be 
love  and  mercy,  to  bear  in  mind  the  former  part  of  the 
poet's  line — ^'Parcere  subjectos,'  as  the  latter  part, 
which  I  before  quoted.  Then  is  the  time  for  winning 
the  child,  by  holy  kindness,  tempered  by  that  mild  so- 
lemnity which  the  occasion  will  inspire,  to  openness 
and  candor,  and  a  deep,  but  not  an  agonizing  im- 
pression of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  of  the  love  of  Christ, 
and  his  readiness  to  forgive.  Consider  how  very  ill 
a  continuation  of  punishment  would  harmonize  with 
the  promotion  of  those  filial  aspirations  to  God  and 
the  Redeemer.    How  would  it  operate  is  our  ov*u 


On  the  Religious  Educalion  of  Children,      189 


case?  And  how  much  more  likely  would  it  be  to  op- 
erate ill  in  th.it  of  a  child,  who,  from  his  tender  years,  is 
so  much  more  liable  to  have  his  mind  and  feelings  en- 
grossed by  any  thing  w  hich,  like  punishment,  makes  a 
fe(ron2;  impression  on  his  outward  senses  ? 

"I  have  mentioned  the  effect  which  the  expectation 
of  punishment  is  likely  to  have  on  a  child's  communi- 
cations with  his  parent.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  eo' 
large  a  little  on  that  point.  I  am  sure  we  agree  in 
placing  the  highest  value  on  an  c'.ff- ctioi'ate  and  confi- 
dential openness  in  children  towards  their  parents.  It 
is  not  only  highly  gratifying  to  the  parents,  and  the 
natural  expression,  and  pledge,  and  nurse  of  filial  es- 
teem and  love;  but  it  is  most  closely  allied  to  the  pro- 
motion of  all  that  is  honest  and  ingenuous  in  the  child, 
and  with  the  checking  and  subduing  of  all  that  is 
wrong,  not  only  in  his  habits,  but  in  his  disposition.  I 
need  not  go  into  detail  on  these  points.  All  that  I 
could  say  will  present  itself  to  your  mind  and  feelings. 
I  w  ill  merely  draw  your  attention  to  two  opposite  pic- 
tures, which  your  own  imagination  will  present  to5'^ou 
in  sufficiently  vivid  colors :  the  one,  of  a  child  who  feels 
his  parents  to  be  his  bosom  friends — his  wise  but  ten- 
der and  sj'uipathising  guides  through  the  snares  and  de- 
lusions of  life ;  who,  from  feeling,  as  well  as  from  a  sense 
of  duty.  Hies  to  them  to  disburthen  his  mind,  both  iu 
his  joy  and  in  his  sorrow ;  who,  in  his  intercourse  with 
them,  endeavors  to  follow  in  that  Christian  path  in 
which  they  lead  the  way,  to  be  of  one  heart  and  mind 
with  them,  and  to  'keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit  iu  the 
bond  of  peace,'  as  with  all  his  fellow-Christians,  go 
emphatically  with  his  first,  best  and  dearest  friends,  bis 
parents.  Contrast  this  sketch  with  what  is  too  often 
the  scene  even  in  religious  families — distru^  on  the 


190      0)1  the  Religious  Education  of  Children* 


part  of  the  parents ;  reserve,  and  perhaps  alienation, 
on  the  part  of  the  child,  who,  instead  of  sympathising 
(in  the  large  sense  of  the  word)  with  his  parents,  han- 
kers after  companions  of  a  very  different  sort,  and  en- 
joys himself  most  when  farthest  from  parental  observa- 
tion. I  have  drawn  these  outlines  strongly ;  but  I  am 
sure  you  must  have  observed  different  shades  of  these 
characters  among  your  neighbors,  as  you  have  passed 
through  life. 

"To  return  to  the  main  subject,  from  which  I  have 
rather  diverged.  After  having  described  the  course  I 
should  take  in  a  case  of  obstinacy  or  passion  at  first,. 
and  repentance  afterwards,  you  are  prepared  to  hear, 
that,  in  a  case  which  began  with  candor  and  repent- 
ance, I  would  by  no  means  punish,  except  in  the  way 
of  some  restriction,  wliich  should  be  recommended 
rather  by  prudence,  as  a  precaution,  than  be  of  the  na- 
ture of  a  punishment;  or  perhaps  bj'  exacting  some 
moderate  sacrifice  (such  as  staying  in  the  house  for 
some  hours)  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  mind's 
too  soon  exchanging  salutary  impressions  for  youthful 
levity.  But  whatever  I  might  do  in  this  way,  I  would 
take  especial  cape  to  avoid  every  thing  austere  and 
forbidding  in  my  countenance  and  manner,  though 
these  would  necessarily  be  marked  by  serious  but  ten- 
der and  affectionate  pity  and  concern.  I  think  I  find 
that  this  course  of  proceeding  answers  the  purpose  of 
preventing  the  afifair  from  slipping  too  soon  from  a 
child's  mind,  while  it  secures  his  affection,  disposes 
him  to  confide  in  me  as  a  friend  and  confident,  and 
adds,  to  his  fear  of  having  offended  God,  a  further  un- 
easiness, from  having  brought  much  trouble  upon  me 
and  himself.  Though  I  have  spoken  of  myself,  I  have 
my  wife  full  as  much  in  my  eye  while  I  give  this 


On  the  Reii^ious  Educcdion  of  Children.      191 


flcscripUon.  Occasions  are  often  occurring,  in  ■which 
tlie  little  children  come  with  full  hearts  to  her  to  tell 
her  of  some  misbehavior  or  wrong;  temper.  They 
come  without  fear,  but  with  a  load  of  concern  and  re- 
gret, which  they  evidently  hope  to  lighten  by  obtain- 
ing her  sympathy  and  condolence.  You  may  be  sure 
she  always  encourages  this  course  of  proceeding;  and 
I  am  convinced  that,  under  God's  blessing,  it  answers 
tlie  very  best  purposes.  I  need  not  say,  that,  in  the 
way  in  which  she  treats  such  cases,  it  is  her  aim  al- 
ways to  give  the  feelings  of  the  Christian  a  complete 
ascendenc}'^  over  those  of  the  mother;  and  I  think  she 
succeeds  well.  But,  after  all,  will  children  dread  the 
commission  of  faults,  and  guard  against  them,  unless 
they  stand  in  awe  of  some  immediate  punishment  ?  i 
think  they  will,  and  on  the  same  grounds  on  which  men 
and  women  do,  provided  our  whole  system,  or  some 
other  founded  on  similar  principles,  is  adopted  early, 
and  steadily  persevered  in.  It  is  thought  absurd  for  a- 
ilults  to  subject  themselves  to  penances  for  their  sin^, 
and  why  should  it  not  be  right  to  subject  children  to 
as  little  of  this  sort  as  may  be,  and  to  endeavor  as  ear- 
ly as  may  be  to  bring  them  to  a  system  analogous  to 
that  which  we  Protestants  think  the  right  one  for 
grown  up  people  ?  Their  minds  are  capable  of  being 
wrought  upon  by  the  same  means  which  God  has  ap- 
pointed for  men  in  general ;  and  these  means  cannot 
be  too  early  employed,  and  cannot  too  soon  acquire 
that  preponderance  in  a  sj^stem  of  education,  which 
may  make  them  supercede  the  use  of  the  rod ;  a  weap- 
on necessary,  in  a  degree,  for  managing  brute  animals, 
and  man  also,  as  far  as  his  nature  resembles  theirs ; 
but  it  is  the  great  business  of  Christian  education  to 
exalt  his  nature— to  cherish  that  new  nature  implantetl 


192      On  the  Religious  Education  of  Children. 


hy  grace  in  his  sou],  and  as  speedily  as  possible  to 
subject  him  to  a  discipline  suited  to  the  state  of  heart 
we  wish  to  encourage. 

'*Do  not  sup..ose,  though  we  endeavor  to  banish 
punishment  as  much  as  may  be,  that  our  system  is  one 
of  indulgence.  It  is  a  main  part  of  it  to  establish  hab- 
its of  resolute,  though  cheerful,  self-denial  in  all  points 
in  which  duty  calls  for  sacrifices.  We  always  hold  up 
the  principle  of  acting  on  grounds  of  right  and  wrong, 
and  not  on  those  of  inclination,  except  in  points  purely 
indifferent,  which  are  brought  within  a  narrow  com- 
pass Nothing  is  ever  granted  to  mere  entreaty ;  and 
we  have  none  of  that  begging  and  whining  which 
shew  s  generally  a  laxity  of  principle,  and  always  a  de- 
fective system  of  education,  wherever  it  is  practised. 

*'Iu  this  way  we  endeavor  to  promote,  in  our  own 
children,  that  *barduess*  which  all  the  soldiers  of  Christ 
must  learn  to  endure.  But,  then,  this  plan  is  sweeten- 
ed by  as  much  al!ection,  affability,  cheerfulness,  and 
desire  to  make  our  children  happy  within  the  bounds 
of  duty,  as  we  can  pour  into  it;  consistently  with  the 
great  truth,  which  is  often  insisted  upon,  that  neither 
man  nor  child  must  live  for  pleasure,  but  that  his  ob- 
ject and  employment  must  be  work — the  work  which 
God  has  given  him  to  do ;  and  a  good  part  of  which 
(especially  in  the  case  of  a  child)  is  to  prepare  for  do- 
ing better  work  in  future  years. 

"As  to  the  passages  of  Scripture  you  mention,  I  own 
they  do  not  alter  my  view  of  this  case.  It  is  most 
true,  that  *the  rod  must  not  be  spared'  in  the  cap';s  in 
which  it  ought  to  be  used ;  hut  then  comes  the  ques- 
tion I  have  been  discussing  in  this  letter,  what  are 
those  cases  ?  Indeed,  the  frequency  and  general  com- 
ple^Lion  of  the  passages  referred  to  would  lead  oae  to 


Gil  Ike  Rdigious  Education  of  Children.      1 0:1 

appose,  tliat  Solomon  conceived  that  c^es  of  tbis 
kind  would  be  very  common ;  and,  in  short,  that  cor- 
poral punishment  would  be  a  leading  feature  in  a  right 
education.  But  it  is  to  be  remembered  under  what 
dispensation  he  lived — under  one  which  was  compar- 
alively  low  and  grovelling — one  in  which  there  wasf- 
much  of  beggarly  element;  much  that  was  permitted 
because  of  the  hardness  of  the  hearts  of  those  who  liv- 
ed under  it.  Should  we  not  expect,  that,  under  such 
a  dispensation,  and  for  the  use  of  such  a  people  as  the 
.Tews,  many  things  would  be  enjoined  not  well  accom- 
modated to  our  times;  and,  in  particular,  that  the  ap- 
proved system  of  education  would  partake  less  of  what 
is  (in  a  spiritual  sense)  refined  and  elevated,  than 
ought  to  enter  into  Hhe  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,'  under  the  blaze  of  the  Gospel  light  most  graci- 
ously vouchsafed  to  us  ?  This  general  view  might  be 
illustrated  and  corroborated  by  many  things  in  the 
.Xew  Testament. 

'May  God  bless  us  in  all  we  do  for  our  children .' 
The  concluding  lines  of  Cowper's  Task  may  well  be 
applied,  in  their  spirit,  to  this  subject  of  education. 

But  all  is  in  his  Hand  whose  praise  I  seek. 
In  vain  Ihe  poet  sing=,  and  the  world  hearsj 
If  He  rei;afd  not,  tho'  divine  the  theme, 
'Tis  not  in  artful  measures,  in  the  chime 
And  idle  tinkling  of  a  minstrel's  lyre, 
'J'o  charjn  His  ear,  whose  eye  is  on  the  heart; 
Whose  frown  can  disappoint  the  proudest  strain j 
Whose  approbation  prosper  even  mine  ! 
*'I  remain,  dear  sir, 

^'Yo'ir'3  very  truly^  &c.^' 


ON  SANCTIFYING  THE  SABBATH-DAY. 
By  Sir  Matthew  Hale. 


[From  Ike  same.'] 


Having  observed  that  you  sometimes  admit  into 
your  miscellany  such  portions  of  scarce  or  unpublished 
works  as  may  promote  its  excellent  design,  I  talie  the 
liberty  to  communicate  an  extract  from  a  letter  of  Si? 
Matthew  Hale  to  his  grand-children,  which  has  never 
been  printed,  but  lies  deposited,  I  believe,  unknown  to 
the  fonner  editors  of  his  works,  in  the  British  Museum. 
If  I  have  not  formed  too  high  an  estimate  of  the  au- 
thority of  that  truly  wise  and  pious  man,  his  testimony 
lo  the  good  effects  res  jlcing  from  a  strict  observance 
of  the  Christian  Sabbath  will  prove  not  unacceptable 
to  you  and  your  readers.  Should  you,  from  this  spe- 
cimen, feel  any  wish  to  peruse  the  remainder  of  the 
letter,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  leave  my  transcript  ot 
it  with  your  publisher.  I  cannot  conclude  this  with- 
out expressing  my  humblest  and  most  heartfelt  thank- 
ifulnesB  for  the  benefits  I  have  derived  from  your  labors. 

O.  W. 

*'I  will  acquaint  you  with  a  truth,  that  above  forty 
years'  experience  and  strict  observation  of  myself  hath 
assuredly  taught  me.  I  have  been  near  fifty  years  a 
man  as  much  conversant  in  business,  and  that  of  mo- 
ment and  importance,  as  most  men;  and  I  will  assure 
you,  I  was  never  under  any  inclination  to  fanaticism, 
enthusiasm,  or  superstition. 

"In  all  this  time,  I  have  most  industriously  observ- 
ed, in  myself  and  my  concerns,  these  three  things : — 
1.  Whenever  I  have  undertaken  any  secular  business 
on  the  Lord's-day  (which  was  not  absolutely  and  in- 
dispensably necessary,)  that  business  never  prospered 
and  succeeded  well  with  me. 

*'JS"ay,  if  I  had  set  niyself  that  day  but  to  forecast  oi 


Oil  Scmctijying  tJtc  Sabbath-Day.  105 


clci^ign  any  temporal  business,  to  be  done  or  performed 
afterwards,  though  such  forecast  were  just  and  honest 
in  themselves,  and  had  as  fair  a  prospect  as  could  be 
effected,  yet  I  have  been  always  disappointed  in  the 
effecting  of  it,  or  in  the  success  of  it.  So  that  it  crew 
almost  proverbial  with  me,  when  any  imi)ortuned  me 
to  any  secular  business  that  day,  to  answer  them,  that 
if  they  suspected  it  to  succeed  amiss,  then  they  might 
desire  my  undertaking  of  it  upon  that  day.  And  this 
was  so  certain  an  observation  of  me,  that  I  feared  to 
think  of  any  secular  business  that  day,  because  the  re- 
solution then  taken  would  be  disappointed  or  unsuc- 
cessful. 

''That  always  the  more  closely  I  applied  myself  to 
the  duties  of  the  Lord's-day,  the  more  happy  and  suc- 
cessful wei*e  my  business  and  eniployments  of  the 
week  following.  So  that  1  could,  from  the  loose  or 
strict  observance  of  that  day,  take  a  just  prospect  and 
true  calculation  of  my  temporal  successes  in  the  ensu- 
ing week. 

"Though  my  hands  and  mind  have  been  as  full  of 
secular  business,  both  before  and  since  I  was  a  Judge, 
as  it  may  be  any  man's  in  England,  yet  I  never  want- 
ed time  in  my  six  daysto  ripen  and  fit  myself  for  the  bu- 
siness and  emi)ioyments  I  had  to  do,  though  I  borrow- 
ed not  one  minute  from  the  Lord's-day  to  prepare  for 
it,  by  study  or  otherwise.  But  on  the  other  hand,  if  I 
had  at  any  time  borrowed  from  this  day  any  time  for 
my  secular  employments,  I  found  it  did  further  me  less 
than  if  I  had  let  it  alone ;  and  therefore,  when  some 
years'  experience,  upon  a  most  attentive  and  vigilant 
observation,  had  given  me  this  instruction,  I  grew  pe- 
remtoriiy  resolved  never  in  this  kind  to  make  a  breach, 
upon  the  Lord's  day,  which  I  have  now  strictly  ob- 
served for  above  thirty  years. — This  relation  is  most 
certainly  and  experimentally  true,  and  hath  been  de- 
clared by  me  to  hundreds  of  persons,  as  1  now  dtclace 

it  to  YOU." 


^mum$* 


Page 
Recommendations     ,...:..::,        3 

The  Editor's  Preface,  with  a  sketch  of  the  Au- 

tlior's  life      .     .     .     .     , .       5 

Preface       .     .     .     .     , i     .     .      13 

Much  occasion  for  doing  good 27 

The  excellence  of  weil-doing     ..:....  28 

The  reward  of  well-doing 30 

The  diligence  of  wicked  men  in  doing  evil      .     .     35 

The  true  nature  of  good  works 38 

On  seeking  opportunities  to  do  good  ....  43 
On  internal  piety  and  self-examination  ...  4t} 
On  doing  good  to  our  relations,  children,  Szc,     .     52 

o     .     .     .     .     to  our  servants 67 

!     .     .     .     .      to  our  neighbors     .....         71 

Private  meetings  for  religion     .......    7B 

Proposals  to  the  Ministers  of  the  gospel     .     .     .     Si 

Directions  for  pastoral  visits 92 

The  duties  of  school-masters      ......      100 

Proposals  to  churches  for  doing  good     .     .     .        105 
,    ^     .     .      magistrates     .     .     .     .     i    .     ,     ,     108 

„     .     .     .      physicians     ,..»....      116 

,     c     .     .      rich  men    .,«»....        125 

.•  .  .  .  ladies  .  ;  .  .  .  o  .  ,  -  .  1 33 
Miscellaneous  proposals  to  gentlemen  ...  134 
Proposals  to  church,  civil  and  military  officers    .  140 

,     .     .     .      lawyers .     144 

Societies  for  the  reformation  of  manners     .     .    .    1 54 

A  catalogue  of  desirable  things 1 60 

Conclusion 167 

On  fulfiliing  engagements  for  paying  debts  .  .  179 
On  the  religious  education  of  children  .  .  .  182 
Ob  saactifyiBg  the  Sabbath-day     .     »    .     .     „      19> 


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